Unlocking Cellphones Becomes Illegal Saturday in the U.S.

[surferfox72]

Guess this goes along with congress getting a raise while our solders pee in ditches and have no more breakfast because its not in budget

 

[mrjarrell]

Reason takes a look at the whole debacle. Unlock your cell phone and you could be fined huge amounts of money and do some time in the slammer. Way to go politicians. Hope you all die in a fire.

[ame]http://youtu.be/5hoUmCZjca4[/ame]

 

[xcalibur]

Wonder if merely jailbreaking your iphone is on the list of illegal activities now.

 

[level.eleven]

1. Sign EULA Contract
2. Break Contract
3. Whine

Sometimes libertarians really make you laugh. Particularly the an-cap/contractualists.

 

[mrjarrell]

Wonder if merely jailbreaking your iphone is on the list of illegal activities now.

Jailbreaking is not the same as unlocking.

 

[mrjarrell]

1. Sign EULA Contract
2. Break Contract
3. Whine

Sometimes libertarians really make you laugh. Particularly the an-cap/contractualists.

Once any contract you have signed is up you should be able to use your property however you wish. That's no longer possible, thanks to folks with your outlook.

 

[CountryBoy1981]

1. Sign EULA Contract
2. Break Contract
3. Whine

Sometimes libertarians really make you laugh. Particularly the an-cap/contractualists.

Isn't the libertarian the one who advocates free market, not the use of government (which would be the fines/imprisonment). I don't get your point, are you saying libertarians are against this law as everyone would be in agreement with you. Or are you saying that libertarians advocate the use of force/government (which is the exact opposite of what they stand for)?

 

[87iroc]

what the crap. youre telling me that a device i bought, i cannot do whatever I desire with it?

THIS is NOTHING more than phone companies voting with THEIR wallets. this has NOTHING to do with piracy whatsoever. now even my freedom to tinker with MY THINGS is being restricted???? whats next, can't change my own oil?

I'm surprised this isn't illegal in California already.

Cell Phone companies were PISSED! when they ruled we could port numbers to a new cell provider....

 

[rw02kr43]

phone

I use Virgin. I buy the phone outright. Does this mean I can't root or unlock something that I bought? No contract so it is mine.

Jason

 

[Benny]

How do you even illegally unlock a phone? I thought the service provider had to do it for you.

 

[mrjarrell]

How do you even illegally unlock a phone? I thought the service provider had to do it for you.

Plug it into your computer and run a program to do it. The provider can do it for you, but if they refuse then you're stuck with a phone you can only use on their network. All it takes to switch is a new simcard. Now, of course that's illegal, thanks to the rent seekers and the bought and paid for politicians in DC.

 

[Zephri]

Just like downloading music is illegal, uh huh good luck enforcing this.

 

[gregkl]

I get the government intrusion and I agree that it's wrong and a waste of our taxes.

What I don't understand is; don't you just get a phone with a carrier and keep it for at least two years on the contract? Why would someone want to "unlock" a phone?

 

[mrjarrell]

I get the government intrusion and I agree that it's wrong and a waste of our taxes.

What I don't understand is don't you just get a phone with a carrier and keep it for at least two years on the contract? Why would someone want to "unlock" a phone?

So that you could use it on another carrier. For instance, say you take a trip overseas and want to avoid those $1000 phone bills you'd get if you used your phone there. If it were unlocked all you'd have to do is drop in at a store and pop in a new sim card that uses local carriers, instead of AT&T or T-Mobile or whomever. Or maybe your contract is up and you want to switch from company A to company W. If it's unlocked you can do that. If not, you can't. This is an area the government had no business involving itself in.

 

[gregkl]

So that you could use it on another carrier. For instance, say you take a trip overseas and want to avoid those $1000 phone bills you'd get if you used your phone there. If it were unlocked all you'd have to do is drop in at a store and pop in a new sim card that uses local carriers, instead of AT&T or T-Mobile or whomever. Or maybe your contract is up and you want to switch from company A to company W. If it's unlocked you can do that. If not, you can't. This is an area the government had no business involving itself in.

I see. I guess since I have not been oversea traveling and have been with Verizon since I switched from Cellular One I didn't even know that phones were locked. Man am I getting old.

 

[Mgderf]

So what is "jail-breaking" your phone?

 

[mrjarrell]

So what is "jail-breaking" your phone?

Jail breaking is manipulating the operating system of the phone so you can use unapproved applications on it. Or make it do a few things, via software, that it was unable to do prior to the jail break.

 

[CBR1000rr]

Actually, this outrages me.....seriously...they had time for this and not budget?

So that you could use it on another carrier. For instance, say you take a trip overseas and want to avoid those $1000 phone bills you'd get if you used your phone there. If it were unlocked all you'd have to do is drop in at a store and pop in a new sim card that uses local carriers, instead of AT&T or T-Mobile or whomever. Or maybe your contract is up and you want to switch from company A to company W. If it's unlocked you can do that. If not, you can't. This is an area the government had no business involving itself in.

I see where you're going but your arguments aren't really arguments.

You can still acquire an unlocked device by purchasing it without a contract at the retail price. Your other option is to purchase it at a discounted rate by signing a contract and then request your carrier unlock the device once the contract is completed.

As far as traveling abroad goes, most people buy a cheap phone to use once they have reached their destination. If you're traveling frequently, it would be a value to buy an unlocked phone.

If this upsets you for any reason other than the fact that the time and money spent passing this legislation was wasted money, you are likely upset because you want a contract price without signing a contract. Lets hope we don't end up having all the carriers deciding to stop offering contracts thus forcing us to pay the retail cost of the devices.

 

[Benny]

Plug it into your computer and run a program to do it. The provider can do it for you, but if they refuse then you're stuck with a phone you can only use on their network. All it takes to switch is a new simcard. Now, of course that's illegal, thanks to the rent seekers and the bought and paid for politicians in DC.

Gotcha.

So is it only illegal if YOU do it, not a service provider (even if you leave the provider afterwards)?

I need to knock on wood after typing this, but I've been really good about not breaking phones, so I've never needed a phone unlocked. I always figured you'd need an unlocked phone if you had a new iPhone (for example), broke early in your contract extension and needed a new phone.

I thought that's why they are so damn expensive on ebay.

 

[mydoghasfleas]

Anyone else appreciate the 1950's "bad guy" gun range target hanging on the wall behind them?
For that alone I give the vid a thumbs up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hoUmCZjca4&feature=player_embedded