Yet another example of "terrorists hurt you, so we're going to hurt you to compensate".
Can we please think of something to stop this?
Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
51–60 of 192 posts
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#52In South Africa, we have had this kind of legislation since 2003. It is called RICA(Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act). Shops aren't allowed to sell a SIM card without proof of identification. Foreigners can use their passports to register a SIM card. It takes few minutes. This was done to fight identity theft. We don't have terrorism problem here beca…
>I feel it makes it easy for the law enforcement agencies to track down criminals if they used the SIM card to commit crime.
No, it doesn't. SIM cards registered with false identities are available for about R50 apiece in central Johannesburg, without any need for the buyer to provide identification. The police are aware of this.
>Our government doesn't have history of invading privacy of their citizens, which makes it easier to trust them.
That's naive, there have been a number of stories showing just how badly the government abuses the privacy of ordinary citizens. Amongst these was a story by the Mail and Guardian showing that the government had performed over 6 million electronic intercepts in the first years that RICA was active, along with testimony from current and former intelligence officers stating that they often hid unauthorised intercepts amongst the multitude of authorised ones.
There is also clear evidence that a number of journalists, including two at the Mail and Guardian, have had their phone calls, text message and internet usage intercepted by SA intelligence agencies.
As for authorisation, all the state requires to perform a broad intercept is the say-so of a retired judge appointed and paid by the Minister of Justice. That means that unlike a regular court judge, whose remuneration and service depends on an independent entity in the Judicial Services Commission, the RICA judge is subservient to the Executive.
The access for those intercepts is easy too, given that RICA requires that the major phone companies, internet exchanges and ISPs create real-time data feeds into the various Interception Centres managed by the Office of Interception Centres. This allows them to snoop on the internet and phone traffic of all South Africans in real-time without the need to even inform the companies providing the data.
RICA's main purpose was to make it easier for the state to legally surveil as many people as it wanted to without too much in the way of opposition. It's not a good law.
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I think these checks are probably already pretty common in other parts of the world. Germany is a bit touchy when it comes to measures like this. After the experiences of the Nazi regime, even things like a census or introduction of a TIN met massive, years long resistance. One election gone wrong is all it takes and all those data will be used for genocide. Again.
> One election gone wrong is all it takes and all those data will be used for genocide. Again. I like to believe we are a bit further away from genocide than one election gone awry. 71 years passed, you know.
And? People aren't less manipulatable than their grandparents were. Just look at the recent election successes of the AfD.
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#54Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think these checks are probably already pretty common in other parts of the world. For at least the last three or four years in Australia there is a requirement to present Photo ID before buying a SIM card. I was quite surprised by this when I tried to buy a SIM at Sydney airport a few years ago. I have no idea what the government is doing with the data nor how it is protected. At the time, I just wanted a local SI…
I think it is sort of pointless. You have free wifis pretty much everywhere now. You don't really need a SIM card to communicate - even by voice - with other people. What will happen then? Starbuck will need to ask for your ID when you connect to their wifi? Russia is doing pretty much that with internet cafes. These control freaks need to get over the idea that they will achieve electronically a level of government…
> I think it is sort of pointless. You have free wifis pretty much everywhere now.
Not where I was going in Australia! The Optus network only worked when it felt like it, and that was just 350km from Sydney.
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
If even if there was roaming, there isn't any internet to order foreign SIM cards online.
Get a car in Berlin, drive for 1h to the first gas station in Poland. This is yet another stupid law. No problem for bad guys, just hurting legitimate businesses. And obviously no identity theft will happen, since no one ever hacked any provider and you cannot ask a homeless guy to buy you a dozen.
> drive for 1h to the first gas station in Poland.
Not for long
http://www.gazetawroclawska.pl/polska-i-swiat/a/koniec-anoni...
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#57In South Africa, we have had this kind of legislation since 2003. It is called RICA(Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act). Shops aren't allowed to sell a SIM card without proof of identification. Foreigners can use their passports to register a SIM card. It takes few minutes. This was done to fight identity theft. We don't have terrorism problem here beca…
>I feel it makes it easy for the law enforcement agencies to track down criminals if they used the SIM card to commit crime. No, it doesn't. SIM cards registered with false identities are available for about R50 apiece in central Johannesburg, without any need for the buyer to provide identification. The police are aware of this. >Our government doesn't have history of invading privacy of their citizens, which makes…
Thanks for the information. I didn't know that there is so much surveillance from our government. Snooping on journalists isn't on at all. Now I know my text messages aren't safe.
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#58If I want to text or talk to you over a cell network I need to show ID. If I want to text, call (VOIP), email, chat, message you over wifi I don't. Sounds very secure.
What I dislike about it is as more sites require sms verification, your sms number becomes a 'real id'. Given that your mobile subscriber likely sells your demographic information, it's pretty shit for privacy. A lot of services reject voip numbers for verification.
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I think these checks are probably already pretty common in other parts of the world. Germany is a bit touchy when it comes to measures like this. After the experiences of the Nazi regime, even things like a census or introduction of a TIN met massive, years long resistance. One election gone wrong is all it takes and all those data will be used for genocide. Again.
> One election gone wrong is all it takes and all those data will be used for genocide. Again. I like to believe we are a bit further away from genocide than one election gone awry. 71 years passed, you know.
Societies pass from peaceable to terrifying all the time, and it generally happens pretty quickly. Nobody ever seems to see it coming, although it's always obvious in hindsight to armchair analysts.
It hasn't happened in one of the big powers in awhile, but 71 years isn't that long. It wouldn't be paradise the day before an election and hell the day after, but you never know what event will be pivotal. Until armchair time.
Re: Germany to ban anonymous SIM cards[German]
#60And again, a new measure that will affect everybody except criminals, who pay a drug addict to register hundreds of these cards.
Well, only the criminals that put some effort. Somewhat effective at tracking down the lazy criminals. Also, in places like Singapore, you can only own 5 Data SIMs before they start asking tougher questions. I wasn't aware there were countries that you could purchase data SIMs in without having to hand over passport/government ID, I'd just assumed that was a ubiquitous practice.