keep your eye on the press releases re. the hobby phone

[..]

Originally Posted by TexTushHog

No really good argument against it.

there are good reasons against this proposed law and for using prepaid SIMs; e.g. cell phone records are sold semi-legally:

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/ar...s-security.jsp

http://epic.org/privacy/iei/

[..]

Originally Posted by discreetgent

There are plenty of GSM phones available overseas; similarly there are many countries where someone can get an unregistered SIM. While for a hobbyist the cost of the resultant calls may not be worth it, for a multi-million dollar drug ring the cost will be noise. Ultimately it won't prevent those enterprises or terrorists from getting them.

Word!

e.g. the metsada team that killed Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai simply used prepaid SIMs from austrian network operators. (and forged passports from Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, and Australia.)

[..]

Originally Posted by am-a-pleaser

By golly, you're right! What a sneaky way for Texas (Sen Cornyn) to try to profile ethnic groups in pursuit of illegal aliens.

Only Mexico for example already has such a law that requires all pre-paid SIMs to be registered; hence most Mexicans also know how to work around it.

[pyramider]

Probably can get the cloned SIM cards at the flea market near anyone.

[John Bull]

Most won't know how to get cloned Sim cards. I know I wouldn't have the foggiest. I think it will move more hobby contact to computer email and the 2 call system so beloved of providers (which does nothing at all to protect them), will be a thing of the past or will move toward calling from a pay phone - if you can find one.