[liberationtech] Travellers' mobile phone data seized by police at border

[The Doctor]

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On 07/16/2013 09:52 AM, David Edmondson wrote:

> How easy is it to replace a device in a new country?
> 
> In the UK I can easily walk into various stores and pay £20 for a 
> (possibly network locked) phone, no questions asked.
> 
> Is it that easy if I land in the US? France? Germany? China?

Pre-paid cellular (and smart-) phones are reasonably easy to get in
stores in the States.  Bare-bones candybar phones that can only make
and receive phone calls and sometimes send and receive text messages
can be purchased for $20-$40us (GSM, with SIM).  Pre-paid smartphones
cost correspondingly more (starting around $100us).  They must be
activated online with a valid e-mail address.  More and more stores
are starting to lock them up on the rack or display them behind the
counter, meaning some form of interaction with store personnel to buy
them (I do not know how you feel about that, your call).  It is
decreasingly possible to purchase them at self-checkout lines, they
will refuse to register and flip on the "call a clerk" light.

- -- 
The Doctor [412/724/301/703] [ZS]
Developer, Project Byzantium: http://project-byzantium.org/

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When I was a kid, I was an imaginary playmate.

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