this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2024
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You're not right about the rest of Europe not needing ID for a SIM. In Denmark, you need ID. In Sweden, you need ID. In Norway, you need ID. I'm sure you need in many other countries as well.
In the US, you also need an ID to open an account.
Right, I'll grant you that - can only really speak for countries were I actually bought SIMs.
I know for sure you don't need an ID in Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, the UK and Canada, or at least you didn't back when I did bought a SIM card over there (either because I lived there or stayed there long enough that it was worth it to get one for cheaper mobile data).
Funny enough, the countries you listed (except Germany) are ones were somebody else was pointing out that people trust the authorities and are more ameanable to the authorities having lots of information about them. (I just checked back and it was actually you who said that ;))
Personally I was quite shocked that Germany, the country which had both Nazism and in some parts Communism, and were one would expect people to shy-away from anything with even the slightest wiff of Gestapo/Stasi to it, to have very explicit and obvious laws in place to make sure the authorities knew who had what mobile phone line were in place and accepted by the population.
In Germany, it's an anti-terrorist precaution. Criminals love anonymous prepaid SIMs.
You do need ID in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain now. I think it's the same in most EU countries. Same thing. Anti-terrorism.
I looked around for The Netherlands and I found no such requirement for Pre-paid SIM cards.
Are you confusing the ones with a contract where naturally the actual mobile company wants to make sure you are who you say you are with it being a general rule for all SIMs? Can you point me at the source of that information (in Dutch would be fine, even in German I can probably read it)?
Yes, I may be thinking of a contract in the Netherlands. They may still be among a few countries allowing prepaid SIMs without registration. But I'm not sure.
I see...
Wouldn't they solve this by adding a level of indirection? Like offering to pay some schlub cash with a nice margin to buy several prepaids for them?