more on Pre-paid mobile phones

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Patrick W. Gilmore" <[email protected]>
Date: October 12, 2006 12:50:31 PM EDT
To: [email protected]
Cc: "Patrick W. Gilmore" <[email protected]>, [email protected]
Subject: Re: [IP] Pre-paid mobile phones

On Oct 12, 2006, at 10:24 AM, David Farber wrote:

> Last night I bought a pre-paid phone and the sales person asked for  
> my ID, I asked why and he said it was to check that I am old enough  
> to buy a phone- since I am 42, I was a bit dubious about that one,  
> and then he typed my name and information into the system.  I asked  
> why and he said it was a requirement.  My question for the group  
> is, whose requirement, and why?  I kind of thought the whole point  
> of pre-pay was that you can just buy a phone and there was no need  
> for identifying information since there is no credit risk, or  
> directory listing.  My colleagues tell me that in some European  
> countries no information is needed, although that may change with  
> new European directives.

I borrowed a pre-paid SIM in Germany a couple weeks ago.  The person  
asked for the SIM back, even if I used all the money.  I thought he  
wanted to save the initial purchase since you can re-charge the  
credits.  He said he was worried someone would find it, use it for  
"terrorist" activity, and it would be traced back to him.

It's .. uh .. "good" to know the US is not the only country where  
"TERRORISTS MIGHT DO SOMETHING BAD" is an excuse for anything the  
gov't wants to do.

Bah.

-- 
TTFN,
patrick