Comment by Ccecil
6 months ago
One thing I didn't see covered is to never have your "real phone" and your "burner phone" on you (or in the same location) at the same time while powered.
Easy enough to say "Gee...these 2 phones are always together or nearby when activated" or "this phone shuts off right before this one powers up".
Although, I suspect there are a few other ways to determine identity easier. Such as tracking the device identifier and then looking up nearby public facing cameras.
So many online services use the proximity of phones to determine things like related persons and related accounts. Facebook is notorious for this. In one building I lived at Facebook would constantly show me the names of everyone coming in and out as "You might know this person" even though I had no idea who they were.
Airbnb as well, at least in principle, if not in implementation.
Airbnb Is Banning People Who Are ‘Closely Associated’ with Already-Banned Users - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983871 March 2023 (119 comments)
h/t HN user dmitrygr
I have no idea how this isn’t illegal. I’ve experienced the same horrifying loss of anonymity before. People I met long ago and definitely do not want knowing my real name showing up as Instagram suggested friends.
Or people who stay next door at an Airbnb and I had a quick chat with in person, like I didn't give them any contact information nor did they give me theirs so how ...
Also, never power up or down, or switch in or out of airplane mode on your burner while at home (or work). Cellular network disconnection and connection events are rare and hence notable.
Isn't buying a SIM traceable by itself? if for example the shop has CCTV recordings or the email where you got the eSIM
Normally, unless (as I mentioned in another reply) you buy your SIM at a going-away party for a foreign student or backpacker who's leaving the country and doesn't need a local mobile number any more.
(Then you just need to worry about the CCTV recording of the place where you pay cash tor the pre paid Visa cards you use to top up the prepaid SIM...)
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I am not sure I agree with this. I don't think that running out of battery or rebooting a phone is that rare.
But more importantly, if these events are noticeable and Alice does what you suggest she is probably going to highlight her location. Especially if she naively waits till she is 15 minutes from home to switch her burner on. Over time there will be a circle around her house of no burner phone network attach events.
I'd be surprised if my daily driver phone ran out of battery more than once or twice a year. It probably only ever reboots in exactly the same 24 hour time window as every other iPhone during iOS updates.
If Alice's threat model doesn't include NSA/KGB/MSS/MOSSAD, just being slightly less naive and switching on the burner at (or within a set distance from) some location other than her home is likely fine. I describe in another comment here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45009042 how I used to automate turning on a phone (well, a 3G WiFi hotspot) at a set distance from a nearby library.
But don't follow my advice if you're running a global drug cartel, or criticising Saudi Royal Families, or defending the rights of Palestinian children to not be bombed.
(I just realised my phone goes into and out of airplane mode when I get on and off planes, which narrows it down to one in a couple of hundred people for one flight, and likely uniquely identifies me with only two or perhaps 3 flights. But this is my daily driver phone with proper KYC identification, not a burner.)
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"If you're going to keep your phone in a bag of potato chips, then keep your phone in a bag of potato chips" --Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) Carl the T800.
I Thought the point of burner phone is you destroy it immediately after you finish business with it.