Rica?

[battletoad]

What is the point of RICA? What type of deplorable people are they targeting with this act? The only one that springs to mind would be stalkers, but there are stalkers in real life as well and they can be dealt with. Im pretty sure calling up ur service provider and informing them of someone harassing you in this way will fix the issue.

I see no point in this act, and on top of that isn't it infringing on the constitution? Have searched for a bit, and i cannot find one motivating factor for this act. All i know is it can start a whole new black market industry for sims. Also I bet call centres are rubbing their hands in glee for all the info they can possibly get their grubby hands on.

Anyone here actually for RICA'ing? And if so, your reasons because im really trying to make sense of it

 

[Steve_G]

I don't know that much about RICA, but I think it's a way of trying and minimize damage caused from anonymous calls. Say for instance someone makes a bomb threat from a prepaid sim, theres no way of finding this person because he can just throw away the sim and buy a new one. People who don't RICA their sim before the end of the year will be disconnected. So a fool can't buy a quick prepaid and cause trouble after 2010. I'm only speculating, don't know if this is the main idea?

 

[woelig]

i think its the govt's way of exerting some more control over our lives. they already decide what we can spend credit on. what next... what we eat and when?

 

[MVGL]

I don't know that much about RICA, but I think it's a way of trying and minimize damage caused from anonymous calls. Say for instance someone makes a bomb threat from a prepaid sim, theres no way of finding this person because he can just throw away the sim and buy a new one. People who don't RICA their sim before the end of the year will be disconnected. So a fool can't buy a quick prepaid and cause trouble after 2010. I'm only speculating, don't know if this is the main idea?

No offence to you bud, but how many bomb threats have been made in SA over th last couple of years?

This whole RICA thing actually encourages the Criminals to "Hijack" Cell phones.

Another one of our "Great" Achievments since 94. Beutifull.

 

[Vis1/0N]

With RICA they will tie the SIM card to the user. Now you guys know that your cellphone location can be triangulated within a few metres and this has been used by the law authorities to track criminals or place them at the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, it will be giving the government more control over tracking the ordinary citizens movements. You can't expect the cellular companies to withhold data from the government ... who will then be able to tell if you were anywhere near a DA or Cope office etc... and a heck more. http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2008/05/05/cell-phone-spying-is-your-life-being-monitored/

We should have fought this. Nobody should have registered at all - we should have stood together and ensured it would have been a flop initiative, the government should not have been allowed to pass this law. It will make a small dent in the fight against crime. Ultimately it won't stop criminals from being criminals, and has serious privacy and political concerns, esp since the ruling party has operatives that could go the way of Mugabe.

The argument for the fight against terrorism - also laughable, the so-called sophisticated terrorist networks live in caves, and blow themselves up. These are many small groups of people with some common purpose, don't believe the propoganda that they are sophisticated networks with advanced communications that need to be monitored. ( In which case the US agencies would/should be pulling a whole lot of people into their net - and they are not doing so because it is all random groups)

This RICA law is very Big Brother. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four ( for some of you )

 

[Krypt0n1te]

I believe someone capable of making a bomb threat is very much capable of stealing my phone and then make the call with my RICA'ed sim.
....as if he/she will go into Vodacom, give all the personal info, walk out and then make the threat. LOLLIES!!

 

[Steve_G]

No offence to you bud, but how many bomb threats have been made in SA over th last couple of years?

You'll be surprised man. These threats do happen because it's really easy to get away with it and the police have to act upon them by searching through the building. This wastes their time. Maybe they think RICA will help prevent things like this happening. Btw I only used the bomb threat as an example, not the main reason for RICA.

Kryptonite your right man, but I never said RICA would work, I'm just speculating on the reasons for RICA. Criminals use cellphones for their dirty deeds and for the government and police the answer may be RICA. Maybe not.

 

[Ecco]

Without rica any criminal can get a pre-paid sim card, load airtime and conduct their dealings on the unregistered line without fear of being linked to the number. In court they can deny the number belongs to them.

With rica you cant do that. Each line is linked to a person.

 

[Ecco]

I believe someone capable of making a bomb threat is very much capable of stealing my phone and then make the call with my RICA'ed sim.
....as if he/she will go into Vodacom, give all the personal info, walk out and then make the threat. LOLLIES!!

They can do that, but window of opportunity is small. If your phone gets stolen, you would normally report the phone stolen, and have the number blocked.

 

[Krypt0n1te]

@ Steve_G and catweasel

Points taken.

 

[Dups!]

Sadly, a lot of laws are implemented wirh good intentions but soon thereafter people with evil intentions take over.

There are good and bad points about RICA.

I just hate it when stupid people start a political campaign and make this a party specific issue.

 

[battletoad]

They can do that, but window of opportunity is small. If your phone gets stolen, you would normally report the phone stolen, and have the number blocked.

That window of opportunity is big enough to make the call for the hypothetical bomb threat, ie make the call immediately after the theft. More than that, if i am the terrorist, what stops me from claiming my phone was stolen?

I still say too much power is going to the govt since cellular penetration is more than 100% in this country. The detrimental effect this act has on honest hardworking south africans more than offsets any positive effect it purportedly has.

George orwell was of by 25 years