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Bill Introduced To Require ID When Purchasing "Burner Phones" (house.gov)

Posted by BeauHD on from the root-of-the-problem dept.

insitus quotes a report from Speier.House.Gov: Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) introduced the Closing the Pre-Paid Mobile Device Security Gap Act of 2016, which would require people to present identification when purchasing "burner phones" and other pre-paid mobile devices, as well as requiring merchants to keep records of those purchases. "Burner phones" are pre-paid phones that terrorists, human traffickers, and narcotics dealers often use to avoid scrutiny by law enforcement because they can be purchased without identification and record-keeping requirements. This bill would close that legal gap. "This bill would close one of the most significant gaps in our ability to track and prevent acts of terror, drug trafficking, and modern-day slavery," said Speier. "The 'burner phone' loophole is an egregious gap in our legal framework that allows actors like the 9/11 hijackers and the Times Square bomber to evade law enforcement while they plot to take innocent lives. The Paris attackers also used 'burner phones.' As we've seen so vividly over the past few days, we cannot afford to take those kinds of risks. It's time to close this 'burner phone' loophole for good."

8 of 556 comments (clear)

  1. So no used ebay phones any more by I'm+not+god+any+more · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The bill is going to be useless unless the used phone market is eliminated.

  2. What could possibly go wrong? by dskoll · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I mean, no-one has ever faked ID. Or paid a kid $20 to go buy a couple of phones.

    And where will it end? ID to buy box-cutters to close the box-cutter loophole? ID to buy nails because they're used in nail bombs? ID to buy pressure cookers?

    1. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by fredgiblet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why not just eliminate checks and cash? Move to a 100% cashless economy, then you can track everything.

  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Re:Anonymity by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am not going to answer a stupid question like that.

    instead, you should be forced to tell us why the right to anonymity should be TAKEN AWAY after so many years of having it?

    do not ask us to justify our freedom; instead, demand that we get justification for REMOVING them.

    so far, I have not seen a single reason that justifies the removal of anon calling.

    and that's because - there IS NO VALID REASON to remove that freedom.

    only terrorists (ie, government goons who want to keep us in constant fear and surveillance) would want this. why do you hate america so much, poster?

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    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  5. THE LOOPHOLE by ArylAkamov · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Getting real tired of this meme.

    "EVERYTHING I DON'T LIKE IS A """LOOPHOLE""""

    Sure makes for some good fearmongering though.

  6. Re:utterly pointless and ineffective by Natales · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Mod parent up. I feel more ashamed that it's actually MY congresswoman, and I will write her a note, because this is absolutely non-sensical as many have already pointed out. It will stop nothing.
    I can get any low-end Android phone, put it in airplane mode and never sign up with a carrier, connect to any public WiFi network, and use a SIP client with ZRTP to connect to a server paid with Bitcoin to do my anonymous calls.
    This is classic government reactive approach with no input from subject matter experts, always 10 steps behind.

  7. Congresswoman Jackie Speier by bmo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seems to misunderstand that more "burner phones" are bought by battered women than by terrorists.

    Why do you want to see battered women die, Jackie?

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    BMO