Should the registration of prepaid SIM card users be mandatory?

[White_Unifier]

https://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/w...gistration-of-Prepaid-SIM-Users_32pgWEBv3.pdf

On the one hand, it's known that criminals use prepaid phone to remain anonymous.

On the other hand, There's this from Wikipedia:

[While there is no doubt that criminals and terrorists use prepaid SIM cards to help stay anonymous and avoid easy detection, to date there has been no empirical evidence to indicate that:

Mandating the registration of prepaid SIM users leads to a reduction in criminal activities; and
The lack of any registration of prepaid SIM users is linked to a greater risk of criminal or terrorist activities.
In fact, a publicly available policy assessment report from Mexico showed that mandatory SIM registration introduced there in 2009 had failed to help the prevention, investigation and/or prosecution of associated crimes. As a result, policymakers decided to repeal the regulation three years later.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prepay_mobile_phone#cite_note-:0-8

Either way, I find it intriguing. Your thoughts?

 

[taxslave]

That would only work if the criminals used their own ID to buy one. Probably work about as well as the mandatory registration of hand guns.

 

[White_Unifier]

That would only work if the criminals used their own ID to buy one. Probably work about as well as the mandatory registration of hand guns.

But now they'd all have to create fake ID, which would make it at least more difficult for them.

 

[Curious Cdn]

That would only work if the criminals used their own ID to buy one. Probably work about as well as the mandatory registration of hand guns.

What about cash?


Remember that stuff?

 

[White_Unifier]

What about cash?


Remember that stuff?

Good point. Prohibiting the use of cash just because it allows a person to make an anonymous purchase would go way too far in my opinion, if that's what you were getting at, and yes, I guess it's similar to mandating the registration of a SIM card.

Maybe not such a good idea to force registration. Again, I'm on the fence. Mandating it could cause unnecessary headaches for law-abiding citizens while not registering them is a bonanza for criminals.

A catch-22.

 

[darkbeaver]

What a fukkin boring queston, NO, You yotalitarion miscreant, in Nova Scotia it is against the law to snoop, fuk off or we'll drink al your beer.

 

[taxslave]

What about cash?


Remember that stuff?

Prepaid credit cards. No name.

 

[justlooking]

Either way, I find it intriguing. Your thoughts?

In Europe, it's much more about terrorism. Every EU state now requires you use ID to get a SIM.

But now they'd all have to create fake ID, which would make it at least more difficult for them.

True, it does make it more difficult. Also the registration includes the shop where you buy it, and other information.

Mandating it could cause unnecessary headaches for law-abiding citizens while not registering them is a bonanza for criminals.

If you fly, you realize no one cares about law abiding citizens anymore.

Prepaid credit cards. No name.

Still needs ID, and even a prepaid card leaves a digital trail.

 

[White_Unifier]

In Europe, it's much more about terrorism. Every EU state now requires you use ID to get a SIM.




True, it does make it more difficult. Also the registration includes the shop where you buy it, and other information.





If you fly, you realize no one cares about law abiding citizens anymore.





Still needs ID, and even a prepaid card leaves a digital trail.

You don't need ID to buy or use a prepaid credit card.

That said, if the law required the registration of all prepaid SIM card users, then of what use would be an anonymous credit card to hide your identity behind a prepaid SIM card that you have already registered yourself for? Wouldn't that be like closing the barn door after the horse has already left the barn?

 

[TenPenny]

In Europe, it's much more about terrorism. Every EU state now requires you use ID to get a SIM.

And it seems to be working quite well.

 

[White_Unifier]

And it seems to be working quite well.

Terrorism is not the only motive for getting an anonymous SIM card. Probably any kind of crime that depends telephonic communication could motivate the participant to get an anonymous SIM card. In fact, there could even exist plenty of perfectly legitimate reasons to want an anonymous SIM card too, though those are probably more for comfort and would not be paramount for any practical purpose seeing that anyone can keep his number secret from colleagues, friends, or family if he wants to.

However, registering the user probably would reduce crime somewhat, and might even have thwarted some terrorist attacks for all we know.

 

[Kreskin]

SIM ards don't kill. People do.

 

[White_Unifier]

SIM ards don't kill. People do.

It's not just killing. Anonymous prepaid SIM-card users could use them for fraud or all kinds of other purposes that are far less physically violent but that still undermine the economy and society nonetheless.

 

[justlooking]

And it seems to be working quite well.

Most Canadians have zero idea just how lucky they are. For now.

 

[White_Unifier]

Most Canadians have zero idea just how lucky they are. For now.

And never mind terrorism. I bet most anonymous SIM-card crimes relate less to terrorism and more to trafficking, smuggling, theft, fraud, and other such crimes that affect people on a daily basis Canada-wide.

 

[tay]

20 years ago the only people using cell phones were drug dealers and others up to no good.

Today the only people using pay phones are drug dealers and others up to no good........

 

[White_Unifier]

20 years ago the only people using cell phones were drug dealers and others up to no good.

Today the only people using pay phones are drug dealers and others up to no good........

A phone booth is not mobile. The police could easily place it in the line of sight of a CCTV camera. Not so a burner phone.

 

[Bar Sinister]

20 years ago the only people using cell phones were drug dealers and others up to no good.

Today the only people using pay phones are drug dealers and others up to no good........

Pay phones? You can still find a pay phone?