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An ID is required in France (and presumably in other EU countries) to buy a SIM card and has been for some years... and yet no harmonization has taken place.
by programLyrique 10y ago
An ID is required in France (and presumably in other EU countries) to buy a SIM card and has been for some years... and yet no harmonization has taken place.
- yetihehe 10y agoAnd it stopped how many terrorists?
- 05 10y agoMight be technically required, but.. http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/10/free-will-sell-sim-cards-using-vending-machines-in-france/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/10/free-will-sell-sim-cards-us... Where do I put my passport in this SIM vending machine? :-)
- wolfgke 10y agoAt least in the picture of the vending machine I see no possibility of using cash. Instead you probably have to use your ATM card or credit card, which leaves a strong data trace.
- JoeAltmaier 10y agoI'm thinking, the anonymity of cash is currently very popular, but probably unintended. See, used to be anybody could print currency, but not everybody accepted all the different kinds. The Govt wanted to streamline banking and commerce, so they said "federal currency is legal tender for everything". Not because cash is cool. Because they only had cash or barter, and wanted just one cash. Maybe we should rethink all this - if anonymity is important, cash isn't the best way. E.g. they could chip our coins and paper money, and track it through every transaction. Still cash; but not anonymous. Anyway just thinking out loud.
- 05 10y agoThe name on the credit card is a much weaker data point than an actual photo ID. Assuming terrorists have access to guns and explosives, but not to stolen/registered to a fake name cards is not very reasonable. Even with the photo ID requirement, it's shouldn't be that hard to buy a stolen phone with a prepaid SIM that the owner didn't bother blocking.
- ghshephard 10y agoI'd be willing to wager this will change very quickly, no later than end of 2018.