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

No really good argument against it. Originally Posted by TexTushHog

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/

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. Originally Posted by discreetgent

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.)

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

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.

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

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.