Pakistan tightens cellphone control after Taliban massacre

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Almost every Pakistani citizen has a cellphone, but from now on, Big Brother is checking to make sure their name, number and fingerprints are on record.

The measures are meant to tighten control of cellphones and avert their use for militant attacks after the Taliban massacre two months ago at a school in Peshawar.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/pakistan-tightens-cellphone-control-after-taliban-massacre/5595/

Assuming of course that such records can 'prevent' attacks in the first place?

I suspect that they can't, unless it makes existing live monitoring (voice recognition, matched to location etc) more effective, if taking place.

Unless that is happening, all those records are probably only usefull 'post' atrocity, just as CCTV is usually only usefull 'afterwards'.

I also wonder about scenarios such as stolen phones being stolen just before attacks, to be used for attacks, and original owners getting the blame.

Infact, even someone who was 'not' innocent could also use that excuse after ditching their phone 'post' atrocity.

Whatever the case, it is probably only a matter of time before SIM purchase linked to passports / national I.D cards comes to the west.

Right now in Britain I can go and purchase a supermarket SIM card with Cash and also a cheap unlocked phone with Cash, without link to identity.

On the way, and in store, you're probably captured multiple times by CCTV anyway, but only a serious incident would call upon those records (IMO).

In some parts of the world, as a foreigner, I have to link a Phone / Sim Card purchase to my Passport.

A friend tells me that it is rather like that in India now for foreigners getting a Sim Card. Pakistan is just taking it one step further, aiming it as domestic use.