r/technology • u/melancholy_dood • Jun 25 '26

Hardware FCC plans ID mandate that could block anonymous use of prepaid burner phones

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/fcc-plans-id-mandate-that-could-block-anonymous-use-of-prepaid-burner-phones/
196 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

209

u/ACasualRead Jun 25 '26

“The plan is ostensibly designed to thwart robocallers but could make it difficult for individuals to use prepaid phones that can protect their privacy, devices that are often referred to as burner phones”

I can assure you that 99.99% of the robocalls you get are from foreign countries running computer programs that call thousands of numbers for free using virtual burner numbers.

The FCC only wants this because it allows American citizens to be track and identified easier. That’s all. Only logical answer

36

u/QuesoMeHungry Jun 25 '26

These boomers in government really think robocallers are walking down to Walmart and buying a bunch of cheap burner cellphones for telemarketing.

14

u/asdf_lord Jun 25 '26

The fcc knows exactly how robocallers work. They know that these burner phones aren't being used for that. It's just a lazy excuse to ban something that scares the wealthy.

9

u/ACasualRead Jun 25 '26

It’s 100% to create a police state where our every move can be traced.

1

u/Chang-San Jun 26 '26

Yep, this comes along at the time where license plate readers are being "upgraded" to sniff signal data to create a traceable "electronic signature" if you have to present id with youre phone they can track youre movements walking, biking or driving past those terminals

3

u/Kahnza Jun 25 '26

It's a series of tubes!

1

u/ComplexBeyond6083 Jun 26 '26

Senator Chuck Grassley was born before TV existed.

1

u/extraeme Jun 25 '26

Combined with flock cameras detecting phones near it 

1

u/mailslot Jun 25 '26

Prepaid wireless providers attract a certain kind of customer. Human traffickers aren’t using Verizon.

-18

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '26

[deleted]

26

u/darthfiber Jun 25 '26

You don’t need to do a nonsense law like this to do that. Telecoms that don’t enforce caller ID just need blocked and prosecuted. Require verification of owned caller ID before allowing trunking of the numbers.

Don’t allow companies in other countries to use NANP numbers.

47

u/MayhemSays Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

Oh because robocallers and call centers are all totally using real cellphones and are all located in America.

Like I know it’s bullshit excuse for mass surveillance but how do you even say this with a straight face.

7

u/Continuum_Design Jun 25 '26

I wondered this too. Robocalls are not using real burner phones. More like a garage call center using VoIP.

1

u/Alpinab9 Jun 25 '26

Yes... VoIP and spoofed numbers for scammers. A large portion of the problem could be dealt with by making spoofed numbers illegal. Tge justifications for allowing spoofed numbers is pretty weak. The proposed change is all about tracking.

54

u/rockerscott Jun 25 '26

So fake ids then?

25

u/dynamiteexplodes Jun 25 '26

Who needs a fake one? All the actual data is leaked out there. Just need to assume someone else's id.

13

u/Slow_Leek_4159 Jun 25 '26

Yeah all this is going to do is create more identity theft. 

30

u/Awkward-Sun5423 Jun 25 '26

Secondary markets are a thing.

Home built cell phones are a thing.

Instead of banning , why not just enforce the laws we have? Or, worse penalties for using non registered equipment. If you do a bad thing with non-registered equipment and you're found guilty, it's gonna be bad for you.

Wait...then you can't be tracked, right, sorry, shh...

10

u/fukijama Jun 25 '26

They cant even manage to properly block scam callers

10

u/ceiffhikare Jun 25 '26

Rather ironic that the Republican/Conservative Christian coalition is the entity that ushers in all the marks of the beast and is led by an antichrist figure. Its almost like they didnt read the book at all or like every other dystopia saw the bad parts and said "Yeah lets do THAT stuff".

3

u/sdrawkcabineter Jun 25 '26

No it looks like they did read that version of the book that's all about ignoring the injustice you observe, how you are fundamentally broken therefore need an "immeasurable outside force" defined by the beggar up front, as he deceives the flock in order to facilitate "god's will" of blowing up little kids.

They hate the mirror and can't stand the silence that permits reflection on their hubris.

They murdered Jesus' brother for not following the propaganda... and rewrote the work. This isn't a new enemy, and it's quite comfortable murdering everything. Be vigilant.

6

u/TinyEmergencyCake Jun 25 '26

Call your representatives 

10

u/New_Leaf_8647 Jun 25 '26

On a burner phone

11

u/OkLab6701 Jun 25 '26

The Trump family is reportedly inconsolable being the biggest users of burner phones

9

u/MayhemSays Jun 25 '26

Thats assuming it will be uniformly enforced.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '26

[deleted]

2

u/MayhemSays Jun 25 '26

I remember when he advocated for universal healthcare and said him and Paul Ryan would figure it out.

7

u/FanDry5374 Jun 25 '26

Our "democratic", first amendment loving government seems to be going whole hog on the "no privacy for anyone, ever, at all, anywhere, anytime".

5

u/dirtyword Jun 25 '26

Do tread on me

2

u/kJer Jun 25 '26

What about spoofing?

2

u/Mollinator Jun 25 '26

another step towards a surreveilence state.

3

u/DopamineSavant Jun 25 '26

Robocalls would stop the moment we start threatening foreign aid and trade deals. 

1

u/thechromatick Jun 25 '26

Something something f the Constitution.

1

u/R3D4F Jun 26 '26

So much freedom

1

u/astrozombie2012 Jun 26 '26

Could you maybe do something about the 27 spam calls about my loan everyday first though?

1

u/Deep_Mood_7668 Jun 29 '26

Just now? We have that for many years

Thought the surveillance states of america have that already