Even forgetting the privacy, safey, and security implications of this for a sec, cheap prepaid phones are what I've used when I literally couldn't afford a phone at all. I didn't have an "alternate phone number" - that $20 Target phone with a cheap prepaid plan *was* my phone. Unhoused people don't have addresses. Many people experiencing economic injustice and/or immigration system involvement, in addition to those suffering domestic violence or stalking, don't have ID, and even if they did, they absolutely should not share it with a tech company. This proposed policy would stop poor people and many undocumented immigrants from having phones, plus it would get domestic violence sufferers killed. And it would massively increase the attack surface for identity thefts and ransomware attacks.
"The FCC is seeking comment on the proposal to require phone companies to obtain and retain, at a minimum, “the name, physical address, government issued identification number, and an alternate telephone number of any new and renewing customer before granting access to its services.”
