The **FCC** is advancing a new regulation that would fundamentally alter how individuals acquire and use mobile phone services in the United States. At its core, the proposal seeks to eliminate the anonymity currently afforded by burner phones, which are mobile accounts not directly tied to an individual's identity. ### Mandated Data Collection The proposed rule would legally compel U.S. telecoms to collect and store a comprehensive array of personal information from virtually all their customers. This includes a government-issued identification number and a physical address. For business and foreign customers, the requirements extend to details like the intended use case for bulk phone plan purchases and their **IP address**. ### Combatting Scams vs. Privacy Infringement The **FCC** frames this data collection primarily as a measure to combat scammers. However, the scope of the proposed changes is far broader, affecting all new and renewing customers. Privacy advocates and civil rights activists are sounding alarms, drawing parallels to policies in authoritarian countries where obtaining a mobile phone plan without surrendering one's identity is often impossible. ### Cybersecurity and Civil Liberties at Stake Critics argue that the proposed changes would have profound knock-on effects on both privacy and cybersecurity. Centralizing such a vast amount of personal data with telecom providers creates a lucrative target for cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors. Furthermore, the ability of authorities to access this data for a "long list of other things" beyond scam prevention raises serious civil liberties concerns, potentially enabling widespread surveillance and chilling free speech.