Cell phone activations to require Photo and Fingerprint after Jan 11th

[windeguy]

I still don't get what " activating a phone " means.
Is it a new " thing" ?

No, activation is not new at all. It means when you sign up for a new plan with a carrier like Altice or CLARO and get a SIM chip from them installed and the carrier activates that SIM chip for use on their network.

They will now verify the IMEI number of the phone and verify in the government data base that it has not been reported stolen before they activate a cell service plan.

 

[malko]

No, activation is not new at all. It means when you sign up for a new plan with a carrier like Altice or CLARO and get a SIM chip from them installed and the carrier activates that SIM chip for use on their network.

They will now verify the IMEI number of the phone and verify in the government data base that it has not been reported stolen before they activate a cell service plan.

Yeah, so we are talking about activating a SIM card.

Another useless law laid by somebody that has 0 knowledge of the real world.
There is so many holes in that plan that it makes me cry that people are actually paid to come up with stuff like this.

Phones have evolved over time and do not need a SIM card to be used.
I probably put 50 pesos per month on the SIM card that is actually in my phone, just in case I need it.

Most people ( well at least the demographic that potentially has access to stolen phones, ie " young" ) use a whatucallit? box thingy that provides internet ( issued by claro or altice, pre or post paid ) that allows them to connect multiple devices.
How on earth will said law stop anybody connecting a stolen phone that way ?

( Now, can stolen phones actually be used is another question, and the short answer is a new-ish phone is near impossible to use w/o biometrics AND a google account password ).

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Activation is what happens when you go to a service provider and ask for a sim card (account) on their cell network. They give you a sim card and activate that sim on their computer system, so that your phone will connect and work on their network.

 

[chico bill]

And you think this is not part of a wider plan to put the screws down on the public.
The world is gearing up for some major crapola and the Covid was just the invented trigger.
I think the Brexit may have been a shot across the bow of the New World order as was Trump and they need to reign independence back in.
Now that Joe Dementia will be "in charge" (we all know that's a joke, the part about being in charge - not the dementia), the clamps will be put on the sheep to get back under the bus so the world's elite Deep Staters can continue to plunder us.
George Orwell was way ahead of his time.

Maybe the DR will get on board the 5G train soon too and this is a preparation ?

Probably the Chinese will figure a hack on this new security plan anyway

 

[chico bill]

I still don't get what " activating a phone " means.
Is it a new " thing" ?

SIM - think SIM

 

[windeguy]

Yeah, so we are talking about activating a SIM card.

Another useless law laid by somebody that has 0 knowledge of the real world.
There is so many holes in that plan that it makes me cry that people are actually paid to come up with stuff like this.

Phones have evolved over time and do not need a SIM card to be used.
I probably put 50 pesos per month on the SIM card that is actually in my phone, just in case I need it.

Most people ( well at least the demographic that potentially has access to stolen phones, ie " young" ) use a whatucallit? box thingy that provides internet ( issued by claro or altice, pre or post paid ) that allows them to connect multiple devices.
How on earth will said law stop anybody connecting a stolen phone that way ?

( Now, can stolen phones actually be used is another question, and the short answer is a new-ish phone is near impossible to use w/o biometrics AND a google account password ).

Yep. I was using my "new to me' iPhone 7 and calling people before I had a SIM in it.

 

[windeguy]

And you think this is not part of a wider plan to put the screws down on the public.
The world is gearing up for some major crapola and the Covid was just the invented trigger.
I think the Brexit may have been a shot across the bow of the New World order as was Trump and they need to reign independence back in.
Now that Joe Dementia will be "in charge" (we all know that's a joke, the part about being in charge - not the dementia), the clamps will be put on the sheep to get back under the bus so the world's elite Deep Staters can continue to plunder us.
George Orwell was way ahead of his time.

Maybe the DR will get on board the 5G train soon too and this is a preparation ?

Probably the Chinese will figure a hack on this new security plan anyway

Anyone in the DR as a legal resident or citizen has already had their picture taken and fingerprints scanned by the government.
Having that linked to in IMEI number can simply track where you are, which could already be done based upon your name and cell provider.
Remember when the "kidnapped" Canadian was tracked to a whorehouse in Boca Chica?

 

[zoomzx11]

And you think this is not part of a wider plan to put the screws down on the public.
The world is gearing up for some major crapola and the Covid was just the invented trigger.
I think the Brexit may have been a shot across the bow of the New World order as was Trump and they need to reign independence back in.
Now that Joe Dementia will be "in charge" (we all know that's a joke, the part about being in charge - not the dementia), the clamps will be put on the sheep to get back under the bus so the world's elite Deep Staters can continue to plunder us.
George Orwell was way ahead of his time.

Maybe the DR will get on board the 5G train soon too and this is a preparation ?

Probably the Chinese will figure a hack on this new security plan anyway

You live in a different reality, my friend.

Love to read an expansion of what "major crapola" and "Covid was a trigger" means.
Is it too much to hope for that you toss in who "they" are that are reining in your independence?
Are you really being plundered by "Deep Staters"?

Back on topic.
Not much of a setback for the substantial phone hacking industry here.
My understanding is that the phone folks already have the ability to change a cell phone's imei.
Sounds like the new ideas that are constantly flowing in our war on drugs that Nixon started two lifetimes ago.
Dominicans are profoundly talented in creative work arounds, this new rule will not change a thing in my view.
Wonder what motivated the politicos to come up with this one.
Pressure from the US to do something about the hackers illicit trade in stolen phones?

 

[lifeisgreat]

I still don't get what " activating a phone " means.
Is it a new " thing" ?

SIM card = your cell providers info for hone activation
Your phones IMEI=Birth certificate number for your phone which is unique to one phone only
now they can black list stolen phones.. There is ways around that but will still pretty much kill stolen phone problems here..

 

[tht]

They will now verify the IMEI number of the phone and verify in the government data base....

Most likely what's going to happen. I've seen it been done in other countries. If we didn't register the phone when buying a local SIM card the phone company would send a text message after a certain number of days letting us know the phone would be deactivated on the IMEI code at a specific date if we didn't register. The day count started first time the phone had a local SIM card, put another SIM card in, turn the phone off or leave the country for a while didn't help.. days counting. I personally know people who had a local SIM and ignored the date warning, left the country and returned, as soon as the phone had a local SIM and had exceeded the allowed number of days it was deactivated on the IMEI code, not on the SIM or the phone number. I believe the phone could still be used on WiFi (WhatsApp whatever), but as a phone using a SIM.. dead. We used to attribute it to local business "skills". Buy a new phone from us!!

 

[malko]

Most likely what's going to happen. I've seen it been done in other countries. If we didn't register the phone when buying a local SIM card the phone company would send a text message after a certain number of days letting us know the phone would be deactivated on the IMEI code at a specific date if we didn't register. The day count started first time the phone had a local SIM card, put another SIM card in, turn the phone off or leave the country for a while didn't help.. days counting. I personally know people who had a local SIM and ignored the date warning, left the country and returned, as soon as the phone had a local SIM and had exceeded the allowed number of days it was deactivated on the IMEI code, not on the SIM or the phone number. I believe the phone could still be used on WiFi (WhatsApp whatever), but as a phone using a SIM.. dead. We used to attribute it to local business "skills". Buy a new phone from us!!

I think the power, over the last decade or so, has been shifted over to phone " makers" from telecom providers.
Think about it, 20 years ago most people would get their phone off their provider. Not nowadays.
Probably less than 10%-20%=of what a regular person does on a phone today requires a SIM card. Social media, banking, video streaming, whatsapp and equivalents, photography, etc....... none of that is tied to a SIM card.

Samsung, Apple and co. would go ape sh.it if they pulled a stunt like that.

 

[rubio_higuey]

Of course, that is what they tell the public.

Since anyone legally here has already had their picture taken and fingerprints scanned into a DR government data base (to get residency, cedula, naturalization, etc) what could be the harm? And it helps prevent the activation of stolen phones.

Data will be stored by Claro, Altice, Viva... A fingerprint and a photo, not just a comparison with JCE hash. Somehow I don't trust those companies to store my fingerprint and photo.

 

[rubio_higuey]

And how will they deal with ESIM? The purpose of ESIM is exactly that, to do everything from home. This is a backward move.

 

[Russell]

Data will be stored by Claro, Altice, Viva... A fingerprint and a photo, not just a comparison with JCE hash. Somehow I don't trust those companies to store my fingerprint and photo.

I agree fully....This is the most personal information on we Citizens of the World. Hackers can get that Information in a flash.... I am a curmudgeon and am not with this program at all. That is why my DR phone is in my wifes' name not mine.
It is bad enough that our Bio-Metrics are available to Interpol and every other country...now the phone company wants it too.... a bit much wouldn't you say?
Whats next?
Commercial Air, Vehicle purchases, Motorcycle owners (that would cause chaos here in DR), etc.
What about laptop and tablet computers?
My Samsung Galaxy least used program is the cell phone...it is, to me, a mini-computer.

 

[tht]

I will "panic" when my phone no longer works.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

A few months ago, I received a SMS from Altice asking me to come in and and get a new SIM to replace the old SIM I've had for years. New features apparently. I am sure if the carriers are going to cut any one off because of these new activation requirements, they will send you an SMS before the service is cut off. There should be no need to panic or do anything for existing phones until you are notified. After all you had to show ID to get the SIM card in the first place.

 

[PICHARDO]

These measures are solely for law enforcement.
End of “No fui yo” when it comes to macos...
Don’t fret, just let it happens as it does.

Will make our (law abiding citizens) lives much more easier and stress free.

 

[windeguy]

These measures are solely for law enforcement.
End of “No fui yo” when it comes to macos...
Don’t fret, just let it happens as it does.

Will make our (law abiding citizens) lives much more easier and stress free.

Imagine if these people complaining had to carry ID cards to vote. Those cards are linked to biometric information and maintained GOVERNMENT!!!!

Like Dominicans have to.

If you did nothing wrong, you have little to worry about.

 

[Jumbo]

To prevent stolen phones or smuggled phones not paying import taxes from being activated? My phone is registered to an old girlfriend that has now been living in Germany for 10 years. Would hate to lose that number. New gf knows nothing about it.

 

[nortenomore]

High tech Bolshevism.

And the squeeze is only getting started. Be polite to the Chekas when they bang on the door.