Police Groups Support Verizon Handset-Unlocking Waiver
Verizon is getting support from police groups for its request that the FCC delete the unlocking commitment stipulated as a condition of approving Verizon’s purchase of Tracfone (see 2505200051).
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“In recent years, unlocked phones have increasingly become tools for facilitating crimes while simultaneously obstructing law enforcement’s ability to identify suspects, gather evidence, and pursue justice,” said the Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association in a filing posted Monday (docket 06-150) . “Verizon’s request to maintain control over its device locking policies would directly assist public safety efforts, both in Virginia Beach and nationwide.”
The Salt Lake Valley (Utah) Law Enforcement Association raised similar concerns. “Our narcotics units and task forces combating human trafficking have repeatedly encountered scenarios in which unlocked phones are used to evade detection and frustrate ongoing investigations,” the group said. “Locked phones, particularly those restricted to a single carrier like Verizon, offer law enforcement a necessary investigative foothold -- often serving as the only link between a suspect and a larger criminal network.”
Criminals use “stolen or synthetic identities to obtain devices at discounted or subsidized rates, immediately unlock them, and sell them on secondary or international markets,” said the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association. “These unlocked devices are then nearly impossible to trace, significantly complicating investigations into the original theft or associated financial crimes.”