4 ms·

<tin-foil-hat> ultimately, i think the endgame is to require government ID in order to access internet services in general, a la ender's game. </tin-foil-hat>

raspyberr 2y ago
Please walk me from scratch how you would access the internet on your own right now without any form of Government ID
- squigz 2y ago
  ??? I'd walk to a local library and use their wifi. Or walk to a local McDonalds and use their wifi. Or walk to a friend's/family's house and use their wifi. Or...
  - bitmasher9 2y ago
    I know right. There are entire business models where “comfortable place to connect to WiFi” is an important part of the strategy.
- toast0 2y ago
  I'm in the US. I do have government ID, but I don't recall showing it to my network providers. Certainly, some telcos want a social security number to run credit; but that's often avoidable. I'm pretty sure could also wander down to an electronics store (maybe a grocery/drug store too) and pick up a prepaid cell phone with internet access, pay for it with cash, and get that going without government id in the US. It's a bit of a hike to get to the electronics store from where I live, but I can get part of the way there with the bus that takes cash too.
- zeta0134 2y ago
  Walk into a coffee shop. Look at the wifi password, usually a sign near the register. Log onto the wifi network using the wifi password. Browse in peace. Is this sort of flow normal elsewhere? It's certainly normal where I live.
- whoopdedo 2y ago
  Prepaid 5G phone bought with cash and activated by dialing 611.
- Symbiote 2y ago
  Prepaid SIM from one of the EU countries that still has them, such as Denmark. Purchase in cash from a kiosk.
like_any_other 2y ago
Many countries (including in the EU) already required ID to use a SIM card: https://forestvpn.com/blog/news/countries-sim-card-registration-laws/ https://forestvpn.com/blog/news/countries-sim-card-registrat... Funnily enough, when the Philippines did this, it was decried as a violation of human rights [1]. But usually, media are so silent on such things I'd call them complicit. One already cannot so much as rent a hotel room anywhere in the EU without showing government ID. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Registration_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Registration_Act
- woodrowbarlow 2y ago
  yup, and this gives the ability to look up per-citizen location data. sidebar: i've been trying to raise awareness about "joint communications and sensing" wherever i can lately; many companies involved in 6G standardization (esp. nokia) want the 6G network to use mmWave radio to create realtime 3d environment mappings, aka a "digital twin" of the physical world, aka a surveillance state's wet dream. https://www.nokia.com/blog/building-a-network-with-a-sixth-sense https://www.nokia.com/blog/building-a-network-with-a-sixth-s...
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- miohtama 2y ago
  Not only rent, but in Spain there is a central database where your details are sucked in real time when you rent a room or a car, and no oversight how this data is used.
- xvokcarts 2y ago
  You can buy (and top up) a SIM card without an ID in the EU.
  - Muromec 2y ago
    That depends on a country and for once there is no visible pattern or usual suspects in who requires it or not
- 2y ago

raspyberr 2y ago

Please walk me from scratch how you would access the internet on your own right now without any form of Government ID

squigz 2y ago
??? I'd walk to a local library and use their wifi. Or walk to a local McDonalds and use their wifi. Or walk to a friend's/family's house and use their wifi. Or...
- bitmasher9 2y ago
  I know right. There are entire business models where “comfortable place to connect to WiFi” is an important part of the strategy.
toast0 2y ago
I'm in the US. I do have government ID, but I don't recall showing it to my network providers. Certainly, some telcos want a social security number to run credit; but that's often avoidable. I'm pretty sure could also wander down to an electronics store (maybe a grocery/drug store too) and pick up a prepaid cell phone with internet access, pay for it with cash, and get that going without government id in the US. It's a bit of a hike to get to the electronics store from where I live, but I can get part of the way there with the bus that takes cash too.
zeta0134 2y ago
Walk into a coffee shop. Look at the wifi password, usually a sign near the register. Log onto the wifi network using the wifi password. Browse in peace. Is this sort of flow normal elsewhere? It's certainly normal where I live.
whoopdedo 2y ago
Prepaid 5G phone bought with cash and activated by dialing 611.
Symbiote 2y ago
Prepaid SIM from one of the EU countries that still has them, such as Denmark. Purchase in cash from a kiosk.

like_any_other 2y ago

Many countries (including in the EU) already required ID to use a SIM card: https://forestvpn.com/blog/news/countries-sim-card-registration-laws/ https://forestvpn.com/blog/news/countries-sim-card-registrat... Funnily enough, when the Philippines did this, it was decried as a violation of human rights [1]. But usually, media are so silent on such things I'd call them complicit. One already cannot so much as rent a hotel room anywhere in the EU without showing government ID. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Registration_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Registration_Act

woodrowbarlow 2y ago
yup, and this gives the ability to look up per-citizen location data. sidebar: i've been trying to raise awareness about "joint communications and sensing" wherever i can lately; many companies involved in 6G standardization (esp. nokia) want the 6G network to use mmWave radio to create realtime 3d environment mappings, aka a "digital twin" of the physical world, aka a surveillance state's wet dream. https://www.nokia.com/blog/building-a-network-with-a-sixth-sense https://www.nokia.com/blog/building-a-network-with-a-sixth-s...
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
miohtama 2y ago
Not only rent, but in Spain there is a central database where your details are sucked in real time when you rent a room or a car, and no oversight how this data is used.
xvokcarts 2y ago
You can buy (and top up) a SIM card without an ID in the EU.
- Muromec 2y ago
  That depends on a country and for once there is no visible pattern or usual suspects in who requires it or not
2y ago