So what you’re saying is that you are super paranoid about the gov’t tracking you through your prepaid sim? Or that you’re planning on doing something illegal?
Perhaps I’m glad that Taiwan is requiring people to show ID and register their sim cards.
[quote=“Abacus”]So what you’re saying is that you are super paranoid about the gov’t tracking you through your prepaid sim? Or that you’re planning on doing something illegal?
Perhaps I’m glad that Taiwan is requiring people to show ID and register their sim cards.[/quote]
Most likely it is rather pointless. If someone was using the phone for criminal activity, they would obtain an unregistered phone.
No, I’m not saying either. I’m saying that I want to be able to do something freely that I did back in 2000 without any added restrictions or invasion of my privacy.
I’m also asking if anyone knows where I can still buy a prepaid sim (burner phone) in Taiwan without showing any identification or registering, etc. I already have two registered sim card phones, so getting a phone is not an issue. Getting a phone registered in my name with or without a co-signer is not an issue.
Note: I do know where I can get an illegal burner phone, but I don’t want an illegal burner phone. I want to be able to purchase a legal prepaid sim card without identification, just like back in 2000. Apparently, that’s no longer possible in Taiwan and that’s very bad.
A burner phone or a burn phone is a prepaid mobile phone which you can simply purchase with cash and without showing any identification or having it registered to you. It’s totally anonymous and not traceable to you in anyway. You can also add money to it at any time by buying add value cards, too. When you’re finished with it, you can simply throw it away. No connection to you, so no need to deactivate it or contact anyone about it. No possible liability that someone else could get a hold of it and do illegal things which would be attributed to you. I’ve got 3 burner phones in my “go drawer/bags” gathering dust because they’ve run out of money and they are US burn phones.
An illegal burn phone would be the same thing as above, except the thing that makes it illegal would be if you are in a location which doesn’t allow unregistered mobile phones. So, apparently in Taiwan you can’t legally get a burn phone anymore. To get any type of mobile phone in Taiwan, even a prepaid one, you must show identification and register it to your person. Therefore, it’s not considered a burn phone anymore because it is traceable to the purchaser.
There are places in Taiwan, where you can get unregistered burn phones, (and many other things like guns, heroin, marijuana, crystalmeth, etc.) But that would make it illegal because Taiwan no longer allows unregistered prepaid mobile phones…as far as I’ve found in the past few days.
No, I’m not saying either. I’m saying that I want to be able to do something freely that I did back in 2000 without any added restrictions or invasion of my privacy.
I’m also asking if anyone knows where I can still buy a prepaid sim (burner phone) in Taiwan without showing any identification or registering, etc. I already have two registered sim card phones, so getting a phone is not an issue. Getting a phone registered in my name with or without a co-signer is not an issue.
Note: I do know where I can get an illegal burner phone, but I don’t want an illegal burner phone. I want to be able to purchase a legal prepaid sim card without identification, just like back in 2000. Apparently, that’s no longer possible in Taiwan and that’s very bad.
That’s what I’m saying.[/quote]
For the life of me I cannot understand why this is important to you. I do not in anyway consider registering a sim card as an invasion of privacy. There is also no restriction on getting one since EVERY SINGLE FOREIGNER in Taiwan must have a passport. Perhaps it’s a little bothersome since you have to do an extra 5-10 mins of paperwork but you spent way more time running around town trying to find an unregistered burn phone.
One benefit of the burn Sim is you can have multiple numbers from the same provider. Unless things have changed, you can’t currently do that (for prepay)
So, it is OK for you to hold unregistered firearms, illegally. But, not OK to get an illegal burn phone? [/quote]
NONE of my firearms are illegal at this time. It is not illegal to buy, sell or own an unregistered firearm in many parts of the U.S. regardless of the type. If gun laws change and U.S. citizens are required to either register or surrender their firearms, I won’t. Then and only then will my firearms be illegal. But again, this is not the focus of this thread and the tired gun control debate would be better served in the International Politics forum.
[quote=“Confuzius”]This is the most pointless thread here in…well…ever.
[strike]OP’s words[/strike]:
Before, I could buy a sim card only showing passport, but no ID (guess ID does not=passport?)
Now, I have to show ID (additional to passport?) so now…no longer anonymous.[/quote]
I’m the OP. I never said anything about showing a passport or any identification in order to buy a prepaid sim card! Check the original post, which would be on page 1. I specifically said that back in 2000 I could buy a burner phone WITHOUT showing ANY kind of identification.
[quote=“Confuzius”]Everyone else:
So…you used to have to show an ID (ie passport) and now…you…um…have to show ID
So, it was never anonymous in the first place, yet, it is somehow “less anonymous” now?
Um…[/quote]
Please read the first post on page 1. I never said anything about having to show id to purchase a burner phone in the past.
It is irrelevent to me whether you understand why this is important to me or not. You shouldn’t care, but for some reason you do. Additionally, I don’t care whether or not you feel registering a sim card is an invasion of privacy, either.
This thread was not posted in International Politics and I didn’t submit it for a debate on the merits of the subject at hand. It’s simply a couple of questions and a request for assistance from the members of Forumosa.
Is it true that one can no longer buy a prepaid sim card at convenience stores in Taiwan without registering it under their name?
If it is true, when did the law change and what was the impetus for the change?
Are there any places left in Taiwan where one can still purchase a prepaid sim card without registering under their name? Legally, of course.
At least that’s wrong for Washington and Hawaii where you can still buy a burn phone without any type of registration.
Everytime I go back to the US, I buy a burn phone for about $20 USD, which includes the phone with sim card and $20 USD worth of airtime. I can also buy add value cards whenever I need more airtime if necessary. I have never had to provide any identification when purchasing or using the burn phones. The last burn phone I purchased was during this past Chinese New Year in Washington State.
Here are two of my most recent burn phones.
[/quote]
another than those 2 states, any other states that you can get those sims?
hi guys I signed up a pre-paid sim about a year ago. They needed 2 IDs and they made a copy of my passport and healthcare card, and ARC. Now recently I am getting weird SMS, it’s in Indonesian. That was like a month ago it said something about I just got some money or I just sent some money. Then today I got a call from Indonesia…I didn’t answer it but it starts with +62.
SO my question is what can the phone company do with your copies of passport, ARC, healthcare card? Can they do anything weird? Like if it got leak out to scam rings…and they can do something with it or something…anyways if there some way that I can find out if someone is using my passport opening accounts or something like that? thanks guys
One issue not raised anywhere in this thread is registering two SIM cards under your name, having two cell phone numbers. The Taiwan government won’t allow foreigners to have two numbers, and won’t give a reason why. I was told some gibberish about “you can have two if one is 2G and one is 3G”, but no one would explain how to do it when I asked. I’m willing to give my name and ID to register a second number, but am not allowed to have one. That’s one reason for wanting a “burn phone” without a name.
To those who can’t grasp why someone might want two numbers, just because you don’t see a need doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Even if privacy isn’t an issue, or the lie that “people want to do somthing illegal”, how about plain and simple annoyance?
Your Taiwanese friends will have the respect to call you only when it’s convenient for you, but strangers won’t. Give your phone number to some Taiwanese company (e.g. getting something repaired, ordering something), and they will call you at ANY time, even if you give them specific instructions and times to call. Tell them, “Only call during these hours”, and they will call you morning, noon and night. Tell them, “Text message ONLY”, and they’ll make voice calls repeatedly. I once got a call at 6AM from an idiot at a courier company telling me a package arrived. It couldn’t wait until 9?
I don’t know about you, but I can’t answer the phone when I’m at work. Having a second number for those calls would help, a phone I can leave at home and use strictly for shopping or with businesses. And as for a “burn phone” with no name attached, it would be great for gmail and other sites that nag you for a phone number, that won’t let you register without one.
[quote=“Abacus”]
For the life of me I cannot understand why this is important to you. I do not in anyway consider registering a sim card as an invasion of privacy. There is also no restriction on getting one since EVERY SINGLE FOREIGNER in Taiwan must have a passport. Perhaps it’s a little bothersome since you have to do an extra 5-10 mins of paperwork but you spent way more time running around town trying to find an unregistered burn phone.[/quote]
I came to Taiwan twice before and got a prepaid sim both times, once at 7-11 and once at Taiwan Mobile. Both times they wanted my passport and one other form of government ID. Both times it took over an hour to do the paperwork, and I didn’t have to wait in line. More than a little bothersome especially if you forget a second form of ID.