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Buying a prepaid mobile phone in the UK may soon require a passport
Prepaid mobile phones have long been a travelers best friend. In the past, anyone could pop into the local store, and walk out with an activated mobile phone with a local number. Sadly, visitors to the UK may soon have to add one more step to their prepaid purchase; showing identification. Apparently the UK government has decided that prepaid phones can be used by terrorists. All customers who purchase a prepaid mobile phone or prepaid SIM card will have to be registered in a national database according to a plan that may put in place as early as January 2009.
This step is just the first of what should become a national UK database of all mobile phone users.
The UK is not the first country to make buying a prepaid phone a hassle. Japan has long made it impossible for short term tourists to get their hands on any kind of prepaid solution (other than phone rentals).
Turkey actually goes one step further, demanding that all tourists register their mobile number with the local mobile operator. Visitors who fail to register their number will actually have their service disconnected while in Turkey!
At the end of the day, this is just another bit of security theater made to let us think we are being kept safe. Terrorists will always find ways to get their hands on mobile phone cards, and once again, it is the regular users and tourists who are being inconvenienced.
Filed under: United Kingdom, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
airhab Oct 20th 2008 10:32PM
Terrorist could just buy one on the internet sometimes I question the IQ on these lawmakers!
Shawn Oct 20th 2008 9:23PM
I don't find having to show a passport so bad. I obviously have it on hand if I am traveling anyways. Seems like the type of situation where it only takes a few minutes of my time, and it may help inconvenience some crooks or terrorists. Cool with me.
lilkunta Nov 18th 2008 8:24AM
Very uncool. More govt tracking.
eerie quark doll Oct 21st 2008 4:39AM
I too don't quite see what the big hub-bub is about.
Also - data point: photo id has been the policy, at least with Bouygues and SFR, in France since at least 2003.
joeryannixon Oct 21st 2008 3:04PM
oh dear looks like you have fallen for the trick of the UK newspapers' sensationalist headlines... the story you link to actually says "Everyone who buys a mobile telephone will be forced to register their identity on a national database under government plans...." ie. this is only at the planning stage, you do not actually have to show your passport when you buy a pre-paid phone in the UK now, the government is only considering doing it in future - it may not ever even happen.