DISQUS

Mobile Industry Review: UK’s Mobile Phone register will require passport to buy PAYG handset

  • Kip Hakes · 1 year ago
    Interesting, but I just can't see it working...
  • DanLane · 1 year ago
    I wonder if Ben had to show his passport to buy a local SIM when we went to China. I'll bet he didn't!
  • Ben Smith · 1 year ago
    No I didn't.

    As Ewan points out above - pointless.... Want to make terrorist phone calls now? Just bring in a roaming overseas SIM or steal one or fake your identity. The cynic in me says these ideas are made public just to soften us up for the less crazy-sounding, but equally intrusive measures.

    The security services can already see where a handset is, hear what is said and check the registration info (for those that require it before use) with relevant warrants. This adds little value for them.

    In fact, it feels more like an artificial case to support the adoption of ID cards... "it would be quicker to buy a mobile if you just had to swipe your ID card in the till"
  • Samantha · 1 year ago
    George Orwell comes to mind!

    When will this country begin to realise that these so called "threats" are only as bad as we keep making them out to be.

    This will not achieve anything, and if it does, it'll be me getting angry, and I'm sure many others too.

    Samantha.
  • mattinx · 1 year ago
    Usually, I find myself reading MIR and thinking "if I were back in the UK...", for here in Canada, the mobile industry's main purpose appears to be to extract as much money from the users as possible, whilst providing a minimal number of features. However reading an article like this really just gives the impression that the country is going down the tubes and I left at about the right time.

    I'm really not sure what they think they'll accomplish with such big brotherish schemes - there are always ways for the bad guys to sneak through and all it serves to do is encroach on the rights of the law abiding individual and generally make life difficult. *sighs*

    Oh, and for the record, no, I didn't vote for the current government :&)