What is this?
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| penguinist Apr 17, 2014 4:03 PM EDT |
Quoting:impose tough penalties against those caught ... modifying them illegally Ummm, do the smartphone manufacturers and carriers really need a law in order to force them to offer a "kill-switch" feature? I think there is no law against that right now, so they should just go ahead and implement it. Or is this just a thinly disguised way to give carriers more control over user devices, and to put that control under the force of law. What does it mean to "modify your phone illegally"? Establishing root access to your device gives the user/owner control of that device. Is this proposed law designed to "impose tough penalties" on users who have the audacity to demand control of their own devices? I think we need to find out more about what is being carried along under the name of this new "war on smartphone theft". |
| JaseP Apr 17, 2014 4:30 PM EDT |
You bring up some excellent points. I was wondering about what "illegally modify their devices" meant as well... |
| jsusanka Apr 17, 2014 4:45 PM EDT |
this is nothing more than to keep people from filming demonstrations or police arrests/interactions. plain and simple they don't want to be filmed in public. |
| JaseP Apr 17, 2014 4:54 PM EDT |
This doesn't have anything to do with taking video,... This is the legislature jacking the cell phone industry to the wall for campaign (and "other") donations,... otherwise they get "reform." Meanwhile they sneak in the part about "modifying illegally" as another DMCA/SOPA style, protectionist scheme. |
| penguinist Apr 17, 2014 6:21 PM EDT |
The way I read this press release is that this is the CTIA (telecom industry association) going to Washington saying here is the text of a bill we would like you to make the law of the land for us. But what is suspect here is that the industry doesn't need a law to force it to introduce a "kill-switch" app. They can bring out that app right now if they wanted to, they don't need a law for that. So I ask myself, what else is written into this bill that we should know about? The phrase "impose tough penalties against those caught ... modifying their phones illegally" caught my attention. I suspect that the devil is in the fine print. Someone needs to read S. 1070 with a magnifying glass and report back. volunteers? |
| BernardSwiss Apr 17, 2014 10:43 PM EDT |
penguinist wrote: Ummm, do the smartphone manufacturers and carriers really need a law in order to force them to offer a "kill-switch" feature? I think there is no law against that right now, so they should just go ahead and implement it. Right now, if the cell providers implemented a "kill switch", even the apathetic masses would smell a rat, and there would be a huge out-cry, and perhaps even revolt. But if this law gets passed... well then, that's different -- then these big corporations can helplessly wring their hands so apologetically, and plead that it's not their fault... they're just conforming to the laws that our elected representatives reluctantly (but wisely) implemented as an unfortunately necessary measure, to control theft and the black market trade in stolen cell-phones... it's just to protect the general public from having their phones stolen, honest! |
| JaseP Apr 18, 2014 4:45 AM EDT |
I've read it... The way it reads would essentially make spoofing a mac address on a phone illegal. But I suspect that the intent is just in relation to the way the devices identify themselves over carriers networks. But that's not at all how it reads. It doesn't appear to illegalize rooting, ... unless through rooting you are somehow changing the phone's wireless device IDs. |
| Heather Apr 18, 2014 11:12 AM EDT |
Well dudes, I say they can pry my root password from my cold dead fingers! |
| gus3 Apr 18, 2014 1:05 PM EDT |
This will never, never ever be abused. Right? |
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