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Better yet, why does my cell phone provider need all this information about me anyway? Why is there an ID involved at all?
by dahfizz 5y ago
Better yet, why does my cell phone provider need all this information about me anyway? Why is there an ID involved at all?
- gruez 5y agocredit checks (for post-paid plans), I believe.
- pengaru 5y agoThey could just require a cash deposit and pause service when you run up a bill exceeding that amt, but to the best of my knowledge they don't offer this option or if they do they don't promote it. It's just pre-paid or credit-based contracts AIUI. My power company asked for my SSN when setting up the utilities, after plainly refusing to provide it they said a $250 deposit would be required, done!
- jonny_eh 5y agoBut why do they store it?
- dharmab 5y agoPostpaid plans are a rotating line of credit- you are credited the upcoming charges and pay off previous charges.
- astura 5y agoPost-paid plans are a small rotating line of credit - just like a credit card. If you don't pay your bill or pay off your phone you get reported to the credit bureaus and sent to collections.
- astura 5y agoThere isn't if you have a prepaid plan. IDs are only required if you want a post-paid plan and/or monthly financing for your phone. It's a rotating line of credit.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- jorvi 5y agoTraceability. I don’t know how it is in the US, but in Europe these days it’s relatively hard to get a SIM without having to show a form of identification. South-East Asia too, in 2013 they would just hand out SIMs like candy, but in 2016 the phone shop / stall that sold you the SIM (illegally) just signed the SIM under the sellers ID and I imagine its even more stringent now.