Cellphone nightmare looming?

[vodacom3g]

This really is a difficult situation and while the intention is noble (combating crime), it's near impossible to implement and maintain.

Large numbers of SA citizens don't have registration documents or a fixed home address. How will these people register?

A huge burden will be placed on retailers to try and gather the information (which includes a copy of an ID). How will this information be kept secure?

International tourists will first have to register their phones/SIMs when they arrive in SA.

And as we've often seen with attempts to stop crime, the law-abiding citizens try and follow the process (and are inconvenienced) while the crims quickly find a way around it.

 

[.Froot.]

While this was supposed to have come in several years ago as most of us know, I reckon it will still take longer for it to finally be kicked into action...
It's all good what they are trying to achieve but this will only move illegal sim card (lol) up the chain of command on the black market and at flea markets... there are a lot of people who don't want their names on prepaid sims (such as people with stolen cellphones, scammers and the likes)...

 

[Tns]

I think this is good, as it will help to curb cellphone crime...

and crimes relating to cellphones

in some ways but not in most. most small shops will just stop selling sim cards, would you trust the spaza shop to keep your info safe?

 

[tco21]

And what about the person who flies in from Germany, the UK, Aussie or wherever, buys a sim card to use while here and then pops it in the bin when he or she leaves? How are they going to deal with that?

...

This is a stupid piece of legislation.

It already is stipulated in legislation that when any SIM card of yours is lost, thrown away or stolen, that you have to report it to the police. However I'm not sure whether that is according to RICA or ECT act?

IMHO this could easily lead to more crime.

Criminals won't bother getting a phone and would happily take someone else's by whatever force required to do their dealings with. Kill someone, take their phone, start making calls. Once the phone has been blocked, no worries, look for another person with a cellphone. Repeat cycle.

Seems logical.

I don't think the aim of this is so much to fight "live" criminals as much as it is to combat virtual crime via the actual use of the phones and SIM numbers in use.

I think the government should first establish a department to register SA citizens

Lol, like home affairs?

 

[icyrus]

Anyone care to explain how this will supposedly stop crime?

 

[tco21]

Child pornography, stalking, organised crime - criminals still need to communicate, just to mention a few... this legislation will allow easier access to information about the SIM users for bodies such as SAPS, NPA units, NIA and the likes.

 

[Tns]

Child pornography, stalking, organised crime - criminals still need to communicate, just to mention a few... this legislation will allow easier access to information about the SIM users for bodies such as SAPS, NPA units, NIA and the likes.

easy access for Big Brother

 

[tjunyat]

So you won't be able to buy a cellphone soon without an ID and proof of residence?? A FICA for cellphones.

I bought a new cell phone at an MTN counter at Woolworths in December, it comes with a free starter pack (which I didn't need or want) and the people behind the counter were so clueless they were saying they need my details to register the starter pack sim to my phone or the phone wouldn't work.
Ended up taking a whole bunch of time for them to faff around with something that was completely unnecessary and useless, as I threw the sim away the instant I got home and told them I didn't want it and they could keep it etc.

This is just creating more admin for the end user, which is rather ridiculous.

 

[tco21]

easy access for Big Brother

Very true

 

[voipnow]

They will never get 100 % compliance. How will teh police ever check if they are compiling ?

Sounds like a good intention that is a waste of time.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

I understand what you are saying, but are they going to give you WASPs access to the databases at MTN, Vodacom, CellC and Virgin?

That opens a whole new debate on data protection and privacy.

No. We are not given any information whatsoever. Even when there is a dispute the networks keep this information confidential. The networks want to protect THEIR information from each other and will never supply it to a WASP as such.

What I do see is a system that when we try and bill a handset for adult content (18+) we will get a "under-age" (or whatever) response from the networks. This is not only for adult content as my 8yr old daughter is not allowed to subscribe to any rated services till she is 16yrs.

Also it will allow us to identify the legal owner when a competition draw is held - I've heard of a guy who won a competition (name with-held) where somebody else had borrowed his phone and entered in the competition. The rules of this competition stated the legal owner of the handset / SIMM is the winner.

All I can say is that the industry is changing and going forward. In the end it will be the consumer that wins here.

 

[MaD]

If the retailers are supposed to get a copy of your ID then no doubt it would become an easy channel for identity theft. Every little shop will have not only an income from their regular business but also that of selling off photocopies of ID documents.. awesome. This bill will create more issues than it solves.