The US telecoms regulator wants ID checks before you can buy a phone. Privacy groups say the plan would end anonymous burner phones and tie every American’s identity to a number.
Buying a phone without handing over your identity could soon be impossible in the US. A Federal Communications Commission proposal would force providers to run identity checks before switching on a line, Fortune reported.
The FCC adopted the plan, FCC 26-27, on 30 April under its long-running robocall docket. It borrows the “know your customer” approach that banks use to screen account holders.
What the proposal asks for
Providers would have to collect a customer’s name, home address, government ID number and a second phone number before activating or renewing service. The rules would cover traditional carriers, mobile networks and internet-calling (VoIP) services.
