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

[..]

Senators call for end to anonymous, prepaid cell phones


democratic press release... http://schumer.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=325263&

republican press release... http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/inde...b-9a65beeb658d

[..]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...052603693.html


just realizing this is already discussed on eccie here:
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?p=318063#post318063


ps: why i really want this to get full attention is that the attack against hobby phones is just the starter. as wikileaks twitter tweet says: "Expect much, much more." in the name of terror prevention.

[anova444]

What about creating a corporation or club of some sort and assign fellow members a phone? That phone would be listed under whatever corporation or club that had been created...

[Rudyard K]

Originally Posted by anova444

What about creating a corporation or club of some sort and assign fellow members a phone? That phone would be listed under whatever corporation or club that had been created...

Any corporation or club would have a board of directors or officers that would/could be held liable for actions of their phones. Good luck on getting anyone to serve on such a board.

Depending on how the law gets drafted...it would seem that the easier work around would be a fake ID. Hell, my kids had them when they were growing up.

In view of how these phones get sold...and it is just some sales person in the mall selling it...and all that sales person will have to do is get a copy of the buyers DL (fake or real)...this will be a hard thing to enforce. If they really want to enforce this...then this is a precursor to a much more verfying method of phone ownership.

[atlcomedy]

Does gun control & registration keep guns out of the hands of criminals?

All this will do is keep phones out of the hands of mostly good, non-violent Americans that want a discreet phone?

What's next? Validated email addresses?

[atlcomedy]

A word on fake ID's....

It should be noted that penalties for using and/or posessing a fake ID have been increased in many states. In some cases, depending on circumstances, can be a felony.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but "I'll just get a fake (worked in college)" seems to be the natural response to this legislation. I wonder if some of the penalties might deter Joe Hobbyist from going down that path.

[Rudyard K]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Does gun control & registration keep guns out of the hands of criminals?

All this will do is keep phones out of the hands of mostly good, non-violent Americans that want a discreet phone?

What's next? Validated email addresses?

I guess it a question of a right or a privelidge. Guns are a right. Cells Phones?...maybe not so much.

I'm guessing the FCC regulates communications. And much like in years gone by, where walkie talkies were ok, because the FCC said they were, and they only worked for short distances...having a more powerful communication device required a license. Who says having a cell phone...or any phone for that matter...is a right?

[TexTushHog]

Hard to imagine that this won't fly through Congress. No really good argument against it. The advantage of these devices is just what this group is concerned about -- they eliminate the ability of others to monitor undesirable or criminal activity.

[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. Heck they could probably find domestic SIM cards pretty easily as well and avoid the overseas calls and potential of NSA wiretapping

[charlestudor2005]

It's hard to believe such an ethical and august body as the US Congress would pass a law preventing them from having hobby phones.

Or other activities they want to keep private.

[ANONONE]

Hmmmmm. . .

Maybe this is what we need:



Click on the phone above and randomize/diversify your hobby communication!


With that said, I am thinking if such codes and regulations are permitted, it will simply increase violent crime. Drug dealers, terrorists, and other thugs will then mug you for your phone, use it a few times before you can report the left, then toss the phone.

We are better off letting them get $20.00 phones at Walmart.

[GneissGuy]

We need to spread the idea that this is something to deny illegal aliens the use of cell phones. We can't do anything that hurts the rights of illegal aliens, can we?

[am-a-pleaser]

Originally Posted by anova444

What about creating a corporation or club of some sort and assign fellow members a phone? That phone would be listed under whatever corporation or club that had been created...

Damn, baby. I'll do business with you. You are beautiful and really excite me!

I guess I need to buy some extra prepaid phones. Uhmmmm, report one stolen or something. A club would add an extra layer of deniability.

[am-a-pleaser]

Originally Posted by GneissGuy

We need to spread the idea that this is something to deny illegal aliens the use of cell phones. We can't do anything that hurts the rights of illegal aliens, can we?

By golly, you're right! What a sneaky way for Texas (Sen Cornyn) to try to profile ethnic groups in pursuit of illegal aliens. This is worse that Arizona's law targeting those certain ethnic groups.

[pjorourke]

Can we have a pool for how long it takes after this law is passed for a market to develop for cloned sim cards?