House bill wants to crack down on prepaid 'burner' phones

[Heeeeers Johnny]

As if we don't have enough government surveillance already, now we need more...

A Californian lawmaker is pushing new legislation that would crack down on prepaid "burner phones," which she says are used by terrorists and other serious criminals.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA, 14th), who represents the San Francisco and the Bay Area district, introduced the legislation this week requiring prepaid phone retailers to collect information on the buyer at the time of purchase, such as their name, address, and date of birth.

The information would be verified by a credit card, or a Social Security number or driving license number -- mirroring similar obligations on those who sign up for a long-term phone contract.

In a statement, the Democratic lawmaker said the draft bill, dubbed the Closing the Prepaid Mobile Device Security Gap Act of 2016 (or HR 4886), would help track terrorists and serious criminals because prepaid phones "can be purchased without identification and record-keeping requirements."

"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 the statement.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/california-lawmaker-wants-to-crack-down-on-pre-paid-burner-phones/

[EL34x4]

1. I was going to reply, "They'll just use pay phones."

But I can't recall the last place I saw a pay phone, let alone one that still had its handset attached.

[Fla_Democrat]

4. Something like this?

[meow2u3]

21. I've seen pay phones where I used to live, but they didn't work

The handset was still on it, but try to pick it up to make a phone call and you get no dial tone, no nothing.

[2naSalit]

2. Guess I won't be able to have a phone

if that is passed. I refuse to give all that info for a damned phone.

[XemaSab]

3. People might use the internet for terrorism, so we need to monitor the internet

People might use the US postal service for terrorism, so we need to read everyone's mail.

People might use DU for terrorism, so we need to monitor DU.

[yourout]

7. People might use bathrooms for terrorist conventions, so we need to watch every one in the can.

[Quantess]

30. Preferably a waterproof, inner-toilet cam, since drugs and weapons can be hidden rectally.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. The real problem is ....air.

Terrorists breath air.
Air really should be made illegal.

[Igel]

13. People might use a handgun for terrorism, so we need to ...

That's how it works.

What we don't like, well, monitoring, limiting, and even preventing it to keep us safe is wonderful. The proper role of government is to govern, protect us from them, and provide.

What we do like, well, that's sacrosanct and there are no possible reasonable government interests to limit those rights. Even if they do kill people, keep that damned evil big government away from me.


Must have absolute right to free speech and privacy. Must ban speech and privacy I don't like because the ban won't affect me but will help me--hate speech, offensive speech, and any privacy that keeps me from knowing the real truth about government, business, history, etc., etc.


Works with guns, phones, drugs, speech, and pretty much everything else in a hyperpolarized society.

Yes, it means often I'm against things to achieve goals I like, and for things that hinder goals I like.

[awoke_in_2003]

16. And people may use guns for terrorism

but we won't do a damn thing about it. This country is fucked up

[Auggie]

5. I think the world of Speier, but I hate this idea. n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Won't work

Most burners are stolen from the post paid MEIDs by social engineering, brute force attacks, stolen credit cards, and using the identities of homeless people (done in MO end masse this past December - full retail post paid going non pay).

She would do better to leave good people alone with their privacy, and focus on the global non pay tables (differs from the gsm stolen lost table used for individuals). But even then many countries have no will to honor it and won't ask their local carriers to honor it. So the devices are carried out on freight carriers back to China (sea men/women aren't checked) where they end up in the hands of the bad guys.

No - I disagree with what she's proposing. Besides it places undue burden on the national retailers and mom and pop shops that sell them.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. The 1968 Gun Control Act placed undue burden on national retailers and mom and pop shops.

No more buying guns at the local hardware store, no more ordering guns via the Sears catalog.

We regulate guns so they don't fall into the wrong hands.

We can do the same with phones.

[Fumesucker]

12. Nixon Aide Admits Drug War Was Meant To Target Black People & Hippies!

And those targets have never changed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nixon-drug-war-racist_us_56f16a0ae4b03a640a6bbda1?

“You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. So who's the target of the coming Burner Phone War?

I know it ain't me. I don't know how to get, operate, or pay for a burner phone. I don't know what a burner phone is. But if I was a bad guy, I assume I would just fill my trunk with the things.

[JustAnotherGen]

17. Duped and Desperate American citizens

Who can make $100 per phone obtaining them for human traffickers, terrorists, foreign governments.

The answer is a stronger economy with jobs that pay a living wage. A complete bail out of the consumers still struggling under the mortgage bubble with underwater homes. A relief on college debt for those twenty somethings who could only get a customer service job making $10 an hour.

Reduce the amount of people trying to survive - don't restrict or invade the privacy of people who opt to not have a monthly relationship with a wireless carrier.

[JustAnotherGen]

15. Really

My post Fraud management at major wireless carrier job says differently.

Post Fraud Review we (my team) saved $ 3.6 million in device losses last year after several hundred fraud reps reviewed. Then the $4 million we couldn't stop we get the call from CBP -

Was this stolen. Shipping out of xyz port to Ukraine. Takes a year to 18 months to get the point of contact US but I'm telling you - this is reality.

The best were the ones we tracked on sting that were triggered 3 miles from Foxconn!

Truth be told - I have a grudging respect for the fraudsters and crooks.

[Orrex]

20. I'll bet that 13,000 people were killed by phone-homicide in the US in 2015

We must monitor these dangerous implements of murder, because the last thing we need in this day and age is communication.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. That would seem to be the proposal

Limitation and registration, which can only work if we also criminalize the "straw-purchase" of cell phones.

[noretreatnosurrender]

8. Use Those Burner Phones

to call your representatives and tell them to vote NO. And this is from a Democrat no less. I expect it of Republicans but what the hell! She must be hanging around Feinstein too much.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. Wow. I have a prepaid phone

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. Yes, we know.

... signed,
NSA

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. Lol

[IDemo]

18. I have a $59 Android

which serves no other purpose than as a tethered modem. For telephone purposes, my $10 flipper does the job.

[Orrex]

19. Why the fuck do they need my birthdate for a goddamn Tracfone?

Tell you what, you congressional motherfuckers: I'll tell Tracfone my birthdate after you each give an itemized listing of all of your corporate sponsors along with your home phone number.


Fuck that.

[Cal Carpenter]

22. Fuck that shit.

Seriously. There are so many things wrong with this idea that I don't even know where to start.

[madville]

23. It will just create a black market

Giving criminal enterprises another avenue for profit. Most violence surrounding drugs and prostitution for example is related to their illegality under current laws, making them profitable for organized crime.

[NightWatcher]

26. Land of the Free?

[me b zola]

27. Big Brother should have access to all of our conversations

FFS, how else can we be free?

[whereisjustice]

28. The real push is to make identifying data available for "big data" clearing houses who will

sell your activity to the highest bidder. It's pretty much confirmed that Government spying does not prevent terrorism. Big Data does help them Govt. design political strategies to help the Wall Street oligarchy aka big campaign donors, however.

That's the larger issue at work here. It's less about our safety and more about exploiting our lives for profit.

For example, knowing you buy a cheap prepaid phone will help Google and other sites design search results so that you don't get hits which are targeted at more affluent and "safe" web users.

It just gets worse from there, actually. As more and more of your personal information is made available for employers, local law enforcement, etc.

High tech discrimination will divide us. It's just another form of class wafare and its happening everywhere.

[Warren DeMontague]

31. "Serious criminals" i.e. small time drug offenders.

Continuing a long tradition of dismantling the 4th amendment so that we can fill our prisons with the guys who sell dime bags.