GSM phones do indeed broadcast their International Mobile Equipment Number (IMEI). The IMIE is hardcoded into the firmware of each phone. Changing the IMIE is possible, but not from the UI. Recently, the manufacturers have announced that they will make it even more difficult to alter IMEI's in the future. --Lucky Green <shamrock@cypherpunks.to> "Anytime you decrypt... its against the law". Jack Valenti, President, Motion Picture Association of America in a sworn deposition, 2000-06-06

-----Original Message----- From: cypherpunks@openpgp.net [mailto:cypherpunks@openpgp.net]On Behalf Of Mats O. Bergstrom Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2001 14:53 To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: cell phone anonymity

At 10:06 2001-01-07 -0800, montag montag wrote:

...

Please post the actual experiences about obtaining a pre-paid cell phone

GSM/Europe 1) Buy a cell phone and pay cash 2) Buy a GSM cash-card and pay cash 3) Don4t send in the registration form to get that extra half hour! :-)

To stall traffic analysis - buy many GSM cash-cards and change frequently - they are only around USD 10 (not counting the prepaid calling time). I don't believe the cell phone is sending it's serial number (but who - except for deep insiders and possibly Lucky Green - knows for sure?).

//Mob