Registry of Cell Phone Owners
In Mexico:
Also Tuesday, the Senate voted to create a registry of cell phone owners to combat kidnappings and extortions in which gangs often use untraceable mobile phones to make ransom demands.
Telecoms would be required to ask purchasers of cell phones or phone memory chips for their names, addresses and fingerprints, and to turn that information over to investigators if requested.
At present, unregulated vendors sell phones and chips for cash from streetside stands. It is unclear how such vendors would be made to comply with the new law.
How easy is it to steal a cell phone? I’m generally not impressed with security measures, especially expensive ones, that merely result in the bad guys changing their tactics.
Marius Loots • December 22, 2008 12:19 PM
The same idiocy is planned for South Africa. Not sure at what stage it is. Will affect a lot of international visitors who will now have to register after arrival before they can legally use a cell phone. And cell phone theft is rife.