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Burner Phone 101

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Re: Burner Phone 101

#171

Post by Desk1com »

aspenmayer wrote: post #168
Desk1com wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This one's a good overview where he references his own deeper dives into the tech details. Disclaimer he's selling his own de-googled phone but he's transparent about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I9bFIrFhDs

I appreciate the link. I get the sense that he is putting out a lot of content because he’s doing updates for his project, along with broad strokes videos for why folks should care about the issues, and also nuanced takes for specific topics, so I couldn’t cut through the noise to find the signal, as I haven’t followed his content closely, but I did like what I saw.

yeah the definitely not as succinct as it could be. They all seem to pad out content with the same generalities. But fair enough, there is no foolproof solution looks like

Re: Burner Phone 101

#172

Post by aspenmayer »

Desk1com wrote: post #171
aspenmayer wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate the link. I get the sense that he is putting out a lot of content because he’s doing updates for his project, along with broad strokes videos for why folks should care about the issues, and also nuanced takes for specific topics, so I couldn’t cut through the noise to find the signal, as I haven’t followed his content closely, but I did like what I saw.

yeah the definitely not as succinct as it could be. They all seem to pad out content with the same generalities. But fair enough, there is no foolproof solution looks like

Leave your phone at home. You won't need it if you plan to not have it. A simple device like this can even keep it company for you while you're away:

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourne-montre

Print this out and you can take notes on the back of the page, or even read it if you get bored while you're out and about without your device, to remind yourself why you don't really need your phone:

> Evil Never Sleeps: When Wireless Malware Stays On After Turning Off iPhones

> Jiska Classen, Alexander Heinrich, Robert Reith, Matthias Hollick

https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.06114 | https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2205.06114

Previously on HN:

When Wireless Malware Stays on After Turning Off iPhones [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31364849 May 2022 (5 comments)

You might have already heard about this news from Mental Outlaw:

iPhones Could Still Be Attacked (Even When Powered Off) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwrjT8hxGzM

Re: Burner Phone 101

#174

Post by M95D »

> Privacy Tips for All Phones:

> Keep device & OS as updated as possible

I don't think so! Cloud rot also affects tracking servers, ad-serving servers and pre-installed apps. A phone that is never updated will, in a few years, be affected by the cloud rot and most of it's tracking will stop working.

The best burner phone is the oldest second-hand phone from a flea market that can still connect to the phone network.

> SIM rotation: Rotating SIMs manually or using PGPP eSIMs changes your IMSI, though your IMEI stays constant.

So then, why rotate them? If one phone is known to be yours, then each SIM inserted into it is known to be yours, and any other (burner) phone that SIM gets inserted into will also be known to be yours.

Pair each SIM with only one burner phone and there will be no record of a connection between them, unless they're connected to the same tower and moving at the same time.

> Do not share your email, phone number, or ID with carriers or clerks when activating service

Not possible in Europe. Buying a SIM card requires an ID.

Re: Burner Phone 101

#175

Post by teekert »

Terr_ wrote: post #169
teekert wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, I always think that all these taxes should indeed just go through fuel. Want a bigger, heavier, more polluting car? Want to drive like a F1 driver? Fine, you pay more. Want to drive a long distance? You'll pay per distance*car_size. Want to go electric? You'll pay tax on electricity in concordance with it's economic price and influence on the planet. One problem in the EU is is that this would need to be roll…

> Want to go electric? You'll pay tax on electricity in concordance with it's economic price and influence on the planet. The problem is that generic electrical consumption is not (unlike gasoline pumped at a gas-station) a decent proxy for how heavily the purchaser occupies and wears-down roads. In turn, it makes it harder to connect fair (proportional) amounts to fix the roads.

That is true. Idk how to tax that. Through the tires? Would also stimulate going for durable ones. Although electric cars produce much less breaking dust, contributing to clean air again. Okok, it's complicated. Just tax anything based on it's environmental impact, then add some percentage for the roads?

Re: Burner Phone 101

#176

Post by youainti »

booleandilemma wrote: post #113
ivanjermakov wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And illegal to obscure/encrypt: http://www.arrl.org/part-97-text

It's a shame how neutered ham radio is.

not really. The prohibition on encryption/obfuscation is how you keep abusers off the frequencies.

If you run into someone who is regularly

- using encryption, obfuscation - failing to identify with a callsign - using lots of bandwidth - doing some sort of commercial activity.

then you get a group together, track them down, and report them to the FCC.

The thing people forget is that the primary goal of the ham system is to promote radio experience and experimentation. That is why there is such a wide variety of frequencies available.

Re: Burner Phone 101

#177

Post by Citizen8396 »

scarface_74 wrote: post #73

Just a note, Android and iPhones have abysmal security once police have physical access after first unlock (AFU) once your phone is rebooted. https://blogs.dsu.edu/digforce/2023/08/23/bfu-and-afu-lock-s...

yeah, a phone that has been unlocked after boot is easier to get into one that hasn't...

Re: Burner Phone 101

#178

Post by lilsoso »

kuon wrote: post #79
lilsoso wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Mexico you can buy prepaid SIM cards with cash, and without an ID, at convenience stores such as 7-11 or Oxxo.

That's far, but good to know.

You can buy prepaid SIM cards with cash, and without hassle, in the US as well.

You can do this in many countries, I believe, as well as online through services offered in exchange for crypto.

You didn't define where "here" is for you. Mexico is a better option than the US because the retail price of a SIM card with a number and service is around 50 pesos (maybe lower).

Re: Burner Phone 101

#179

Post by wildzzz »

wraptile wrote: post #163
giggyhack wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I absolutely understand the sentiment and the goals that citizens should, by default, not be tracked. However, how do you square that with the proof, time and again, that truly secure and encrypted networks are primarily use by criminals (drug/human traffickers, and plenty of other people) who, through their trade, make the world a shittier place for the rest of us?

I'm unconvinced that secure communications is the bottle neck when it comes to criminal prosecution. We can expand police power without sacrificing our communications like that. Anecdotally, take a look at China where privacy doesn't exist and yet Chinese syndicates are responsible for a major chunk of the issues you've listed. So clearly lack of privacy doesn't even correlate with decreased criminal behavior.

Probably because any successful Chinese crime syndicate has the backing of both the government and big business.

Re: Burner Phone 101

#180

Post by raybb »

tim333 wrote: post #12
theothertimcook wrote: post #6

In many countries you need a valid government ID document to activate a mobile service which means burners do not really exist in those places. Unless you bought a pixel, graphene’d it and then paid a homeless person to activate a pre-paid data only sim which you would top up with vouchers paid in cash and used a von and international voip service… A lot of effort though

Silent link esims are quite good for getting your phone to work on any country or network. I have one, not for privacy but more for better phone coverage and it works pretty well. No ID and you pay in crypto - btc/monero etc. ( https://silent.link/ ) For me the main use is that I'm on o2 in the UK, but if in some dead spot with no signal I can flip the sim settings and connect via EE or whatever.

Are you able to select which mobile network you use? At least in the US the price for tmobile is about triple that of att so it would be pretty hard to predict your spend if it switches between them without warning.
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