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Pre-paid cell phones may be outlawed

Cold Highway

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Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer now has teamed with his Republican colleague from Texas, John Cornyn, and introduced a bill that would employ the heavy hand of federal law to prohibit anonymous cell phones. Leaving aside the question of where the Congress finds authority in the Constitution to do this, it is certain that many of their colleagues will jump at this latest chance to prove they are as tough on terrorists as the next guy, whatever the cost to the rest of the citizenry.

All in the name of security of course. One more thing to use against Schumer this November.

Pre-paid cell phones may be outlawed | The Barr Code
 

mpg

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My cell phone is prepaid but it isn't anonymous.
 

Deuce

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Given the content of the bill I'm sure it will receive bipartisan support. Yay for cooperation in the government!
 

tacomancer

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This sucks. Whenever my phone dies, I just get a prepaid one and swap out the sim card. Now I might have to pay the full markup :(
 

RightinNYC

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Those were always part of my contingency plans if I had to commit some sort of crime. Damn.
 

Goshin

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Screw the government. Power to the people, and **** like that.
 

Civil1z@tion

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This is ridiculous on both an economic and civil rights level. As for criminals, of course they'll go ahead and find something different! They might use Skype for example, which in encrypted and that encryption isn't shared with authorities (which pisses off the Italian police who probably rely on wiretaps way too much as they use wiretaps and electronic surveillance more than any other developed country by far). And then regular people get screwed by less secure phone lines and can't enjoy the economic advantages of a pre-paid. This law is idiotic.
 
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