Slog
News & ArtsMonday, March 4, 2013
Tech The White House Agrees That Unlocking Cell Phones Should Be Legal
Posted by Anna Minard on Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 4:01 PM
The White House came out strongly today in favor of unlocking phones, in response to one of those online "We the People" petitions. The AP reports:
An Obama administration adviser says the White House believes smartphone and tablet users should be allowed to unlock their phones and use the devices on the network of their choosing.
In a blog post entitled "It's time to legalize cell phone unlocking," R. David Edelman, White House adviser on Internet, innovation and privacy, responded to a petition about the issue by saying the administration feels consumers should be allowed to unlock their phones without civil or criminal penalties, especially if the phones were purchased secondhand or as gifts.
Dang. Good work, Edelman. Y'all should go read the whole post.
1
Nice.
Tangent time: Now how to we convince someone with clout that the option to brick a phone that's been reported stolen should be mandatory across carriers?
Tangent time: Now how to we convince someone with clout that the option to brick a phone that's been reported stolen should be mandatory across carriers?
2
I like the idea in theory, but locked cell phones are just one arrow in the quiver of antagonistic policies which the cell phone companies use to leash consumers in. The threat to move to a different network doesn't hold much weight if you're locked in to a multi-year contract anyway.
3
This is insane!
If we have more Freedom, how can we live in Fear?
You can't have any Freedom if you don't live in Fear!
If we have more Freedom, how can we live in Fear?
You can't have any Freedom if you don't live in Fear!
4
@Dougsf - I think that's going to be a hard thing to convince someone of: not would it be a huge risk to the phone manufacturer (who risks pushing an unable-to-be-undone bricking update) it would open up a window for an epic denial-of-service attack. The ability to DoS a single person is still very valuable - such as in the attack done to Mat Honan in 2012.
5
The White House said they agree unlocking should be legal, but we'll need to wait for Congress to fix the problem.
Thanks for the help guys!
Thanks for the help guys!
7
@4 - I don't know the technical details, so I'll take your word for it on that stuff, but there is a handful of countries where the telecoms automatically bricking phones that are reported stolen. What we would risk in hardware issues is fair trade off in comparison to the risk of violence you put yourself at when carrying a phone in public. (This wouldn't eliminate phone theft-related violence being a global market and all, but it would dramatically reduce it.)
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/shoul…
Re: unlocking: I agree with the principal, but as a practical matter, with nearly all carriers carrying almost every popular phone model, is these even an issue any longer?
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/shoul…
Re: unlocking: I agree with the principal, but as a practical matter, with nearly all carriers carrying almost every popular phone model, is these even an issue any longer?
8
@7: I don't believe they automatically brick, but the carriers actually keep to the stolen phone blacklist and don't activate the phone. The nabbers can still use the phones on wifi.
9
@8 only some carriers. Tmobile will happily activate stolen phones, I think. I did some reading on the subject after some asshole stole my very first decent phone. And my wallet and keys.
10
Great sounding idea but as soon as I read the "wait for new legislation" I laughed and thought "that's really cute...new legislation from congress".
22 days until the current continuing resolution ends and we can not only have the sequester but a potential government shut down?
22 days until the current continuing resolution ends and we can not only have the sequester but a potential government shut down?
11
@9: I mean in Europe. AT&T has never cared, the only ones who put bad serials into the blacklist right now are the CDMAs, like Sprint and Verizon.
The larger US carriers, including T-mobs, Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T have come to an agreement recently on a universal blacklist to be put into effect, but I don't know how that's going to work with MVNOs, they still may (likely will) opt out.
The larger US carriers, including T-mobs, Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T have come to an agreement recently on a universal blacklist to be put into effect, but I don't know how that's going to work with MVNOs, they still may (likely will) opt out.
13
@12: Why would the FBI do that? They can already warrantlessly wiretap.
The carriers don't do this because more phones = more service $ for them, not because they give a shit about freedoms.
The carriers don't do this because more phones = more service $ for them, not because they give a shit about freedoms.
14
Classic Obama. Take a relatively small, "cool", techie issue, voice broad agreement with the people complaining online about it, pass it off to whoever was responsible for instituting said processes in the first place (the Librarian of Congress, the FCC) and/or encourage Congress to take it up (yeah right).
Notice the part where the White House actually does anything on this issue is conspicuous by its absence.
Note also, that this is a relatively small, and definitely a SWPL problem. Moreover, it's not anything that will really impact the bottom line of the telecoms too much, just their standard, garden-variety evil.
Let me know when the administration decides to, say, reregulate the telcos under common carrier rules again.
Notice the part where the White House actually does anything on this issue is conspicuous by its absence.
Note also, that this is a relatively small, and definitely a SWPL problem. Moreover, it's not anything that will really impact the bottom line of the telecoms too much, just their standard, garden-variety evil.
Let me know when the administration decides to, say, reregulate the telcos under common carrier rules again.
15
What #13 said. Problem is, for it to make any difference it needs to be a given that a stolen phone is worthless. For that to happen, there needs to be near-100% compliance.
@12 - Based on your comment, you don't understand the issue at hand, or the technology being discussed. Or MAYBE, I'm an FBI plant, posting our agenda on homosexual leftist message boards until I get inside your mind. MAYBE I'm reading what's on your computer from here. MAYBE I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
@12 - Based on your comment, you don't understand the issue at hand, or the technology being discussed. Or MAYBE, I'm an FBI plant, posting our agenda on homosexual leftist message boards until I get inside your mind. MAYBE I'm reading what's on your computer from here. MAYBE I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
17
Awww, why not join the rest of the world??? It's the SIM card stupid. Most Americans are collectively stupid...
18
@17: Er, what? How is the idea of stolen "phones" being limited to SIM cards, which are easily replaceable, not stupid? Americans don't dictate Telco policy. The oligopoly does.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
All You Motherfuckers Complaining That aPodments Are Too Small at 200 Square Feet by Dominic Holden
-
SL Letter of the Day: Did You Think I Was Going To Tell You Not To Come Out? (PLUS: Help Free Kate!) by Dan Savage
-
Rightwing Anti-Gay French Activist Commits Suicide at Notre Dame Cathedral by Dan Savage
-
It's Spring! Who's Ready for Street Harassment? by Cienna Madrid
-
America's Epidemic of Toddler-on-Toddler Gun Violence Continues by Goldy
-
Slog Overnight by Dan Savage
-
Dutch Artist Turns Dead Cat into Remote-Controlled Helicopter by Bethany Jean Clement
-
Saint Genet Re-Creates "Shoot" by Brendan Kiley
-
Spoiled Rotten: Star Trek Into Darkness by Paul Constant
-
New Gun Enthusiast... by Dan Savage
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (18) RSS