3 ms·

most actually

rcbdev 3y ago
In the EU this is trivial to bypass via the Roam-like-at-home policy and pre-paid Eastern European sim cards. In the US one is able to order a sim card via mail and while one has to submit PII I don't suspect it is checked rigorously. (versus EU photo ID schemes that cannot be fooled without significant effort and criminal energy) So here's two of the worlds largest economies out - I can't imagine it's much harder in the "rest" of the world.
- janosdebugs 3y ago
  I'd consult a lawyer before doing that. Al Capone got busted for tax evasion, not murder. If they want to get you, providing a false identity may or may not become a problem. Also, having the card shipped to your home address makes it super tracable.
  - rcbdev 3y ago
    There are ways to anonymously receive mail in my country. Surely such mechanisms must exist in the great US of A.
- paganel 3y ago
  > y and pre-paid Eastern European sim cards. Unfortunately in much of Eastern Europe you can't purchase a SIM card without showing an ID, for sure you need to show an ID here in Romania. They've changed that relatively recently, I'd say during or just after the pandemic. I don't know about how things stand in neighbouring Bulgaria. In fact, a quick web-search confirmed that Bulgaria also has the same policy. > You will be required to show an ID document in most stores. [1] https://maukatravels.com/bulgaria/prepaid-sim-card-bulgaria/ https://maukatravels.com/bulgaria/prepaid-sim-card-bulgaria/
jruohonen 3y ago
> most actually So what you'd do is to forget the whole SIM and only connect to WiFis in those bungaloos or wherever you're staying in your travels.
- contrarian1234 3y ago
  I don't know the legal specifics, but in some countries I've noticed all public WiFi requires PII. It's become more and more common. I mean you can still find open ones at like small hipster coffee shops, but it's to the point where it's quite rare/inconvenient You usually know if a country's wifi will be a pain in the ass by going to a Starbucks and seeing their wifi portal. Some places you need nothing and some they want a birth-certificate/blood-sample
  - trilbyglens 3y ago
    Looking at you Germany
  - jruohonen 3y ago
    > I don't know the legal specifics, but in some countries I've noticed all public WiFi requires PII. It's become more and more common. I wouldn't bother thinking about this in Europe already due to the free cross-border roaming. But for instance in Southeast Asia, it was pretty common that all the bars and whatnot had a WiFi that was granted to you with a mere password, although guesthouses' WiFi was to my memory linked to your room registration. And there were still a lot of WEPs and whatnot, and the cyber crime is booming there anyways so the requirement to disclose your details sounds like a security theater anyways.
drbig 3y ago
At least here in Poland you can buy a sim card no questions asked, but it will not work until you register it - an action that requires you give up PII, including a valid PESEL[1]. I assume the legal basis for all of this is "terrorism!", which would imply that cheating on this could result in... nothing enjoyable. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PESEL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PESEL
- geraldhh 3y ago
  > it will not work until you register it - an action that requires you give up PII what i meant. > I assume the legal basis for all of this is "terrorism! the "low hanging fruit of terrorism" aka nuisances, but yea

most actually

In the EU this is trivial to bypass via the Roam-like-at-home policy and pre-paid Eastern European sim cards. In the US one is able to order a sim card via mail and while one has to submit PII I don't suspect it is checked rigorously. (versus EU photo ID schemes that cannot be fooled without significant effort and criminal energy) So here's two of the worlds largest economies out - I can't imagine it's much harder in the "rest" of the world.

janosdebugs 3y ago
I'd consult a lawyer before doing that. Al Capone got busted for tax evasion, not murder. If they want to get you, providing a false identity may or may not become a problem. Also, having the card shipped to your home address makes it super tracable.
- rcbdev 3y ago
  There are ways to anonymously receive mail in my country. Surely such mechanisms must exist in the great US of A.
paganel 3y ago
> y and pre-paid Eastern European sim cards. Unfortunately in much of Eastern Europe you can't purchase a SIM card without showing an ID, for sure you need to show an ID here in Romania. They've changed that relatively recently, I'd say during or just after the pandemic. I don't know about how things stand in neighbouring Bulgaria. In fact, a quick web-search confirmed that Bulgaria also has the same policy. > You will be required to show an ID document in most stores. [1] https://maukatravels.com/bulgaria/prepaid-sim-card-bulgaria/ https://maukatravels.com/bulgaria/prepaid-sim-card-bulgaria/

jruohonen 3y ago

> most actually So what you'd do is to forget the whole SIM and only connect to WiFis in those bungaloos or wherever you're staying in your travels.

contrarian1234 3y ago
I don't know the legal specifics, but in some countries I've noticed all public WiFi requires PII. It's become more and more common. I mean you can still find open ones at like small hipster coffee shops, but it's to the point where it's quite rare/inconvenient You usually know if a country's wifi will be a pain in the ass by going to a Starbucks and seeing their wifi portal. Some places you need nothing and some they want a birth-certificate/blood-sample
- trilbyglens 3y ago
  Looking at you Germany
- jruohonen 3y ago
  > I don't know the legal specifics, but in some countries I've noticed all public WiFi requires PII. It's become more and more common. I wouldn't bother thinking about this in Europe already due to the free cross-border roaming. But for instance in Southeast Asia, it was pretty common that all the bars and whatnot had a WiFi that was granted to you with a mere password, although guesthouses' WiFi was to my memory linked to your room registration. And there were still a lot of WEPs and whatnot, and the cyber crime is booming there anyways so the requirement to disclose your details sounds like a security theater anyways.

drbig 3y ago

At least here in Poland you can buy a sim card no questions asked, but it will not work until you register it - an action that requires you give up PII, including a valid PESEL[1]. I assume the legal basis for all of this is "terrorism!", which would imply that cheating on this could result in... nothing enjoyable. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PESEL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PESEL

geraldhh 3y ago
> it will not work until you register it - an action that requires you give up PII what i meant. > I assume the legal basis for all of this is "terrorism! the "low hanging fruit of terrorism" aka nuisances, but yea