Is this your phone?

Gary · Sep 22, 2009, 16:12:47

Well we are now having checks made on our phones it seems to make sure they are really ours and not stolen, from El Reg "People stopped by the police in parts of London are having their phones scanned and instantly checked against a national database to determine whether they are stolen.

The on-the-spot checks, reminiscent of Police National Computer (PNC) checks for stopped vehicles, are being trialled by officers in Ealing and Bromley"

So the suss law went out the window, then new rules for stop and search came in which were even more draconian, and now we have our phones checked for our own good of course, pardon me if I find that hard to swallow, the irony is if its a camera phone, I doubt the police would say "Cheese" since its now illegal to take a picture of them

Rik · Sep 22, 2009, 16:18:58

Report here.

Overall, I don't have a huge problem with the concept, Gary, but I fear its misuse and an out of date database.

Gary · Sep 22, 2009, 16:21:18

Quote from: Rik on Sep 22, 2009, 16:18:58
Report here.

Overall, I don't have a huge problem with the concept, Gary, but I fear its misuse and an out of date database.

Thats what I was getting at Rik, in my own way. I am sure the data collected is used for other reasons, and not strictly for the good of you owning your own mobile not a hooky one, or stopping thefts of them for that matter either

Rik · Sep 22, 2009, 16:22:59

Hey, it's only one more form of surveillance, we'll hardly notice.

Gary · Sep 22, 2009, 16:24:36

Quote from: Rik on Sep 22, 2009, 16:22:59
Hey, it's only one more form of surveillance, we'll hardly notice.

Bill · Sep 22, 2009, 19:18:19

Hmm... both my mobiles are PAYG and, as far as I know, unregistered...

gizmo71 · Sep 22, 2009, 19:40:33

What stops me saying, "sorry, occifer, I haven't got a mobile"?

Or does the police state now have the right to rummage around in my pockets if they don't like the cut of my jib?

Lance · Sep 22, 2009, 22:54:13

You raise an interesting point Bill about payg mobiles. They are often passes on to friends or family just as contract phones are once an upgrade is received. Is it now going to be the case that we phone up the operators and tell then who has ownership of the device?

Rik · Sep 23, 2009, 09:24:51

I assume they wouldn't be listed as stolen, so it depends on whether the database is about registered phones or stolen ones, if you see what I mean.

David · Sep 23, 2009, 09:27:18

I am not keen on the fact it states.

a privately-run database that styles itself "the PNC of property". It gathers data on stolen property from police,

And what makes me think that I would be almost unlikely to be stopped..
I would like to see the figures young males more than likely to be non white ?this sounds like just another excuse to stop certain groups to me

What happens to the data collected ?

Bill · Sep 23, 2009, 09:37:39

Quote from: Rik on Sep 23, 2009, 09:24:51
I assume they wouldn't be listed as stolen, so it depends on whether the database is about registered phones or stolen ones, if you see what I mean.

Yeah, it's only stolen phones that are listed, I mis-read the article

Rik · Sep 23, 2009, 09:40:20

Don't worry, it's easy to do that at El Reg, Bill.