Should you block stolen phones by IMEI?
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2024 9:20 am
The idea of ​​disabling stolen and counterfeit phones is attractive to the state, but what will it give to users?
According to RIA Novosti, at a meeting of the Federation Council on the development of the information society, an initiative was put forward to create a single database of so-called IMEI mobile phones.
The authors of the project believe that the innovation will help uganda phone number library solve the problem of grey import of devices and theft of mobile phones. Can it help in practice?
Protection against theft
Technically, operators have always had the ability to block mobile phones by IMEI, but in practice this option does not work for many reasons, including legal ones: there is no single international procedure for blacklisting a device.
Each operator uses its own procedures for adding IMEI to blacklists. That is, if your phone is stolen and you want to block it, you will succeed, but only after going through the thorns and all the necessary procedures, having previously found out their sequence from the operator. It is clear that no one does this.
Thus, the presence of a common database and uniform rules for entering a phone there will significantly simplify the blocking of stolen smartphones and make life much more difficult for scammers. But do not forget that IMEI can only be changed using special software - this is already a barrier for an unprepared attacker. Moreover, a stolen phone can be taken to the nearest country where there is no uniform database.
Most modern devices already have anti-theft blocking mechanisms that can be controlled by the phone owner. Apple smartphones, for example, can be blocked using the Find My Phone function: it allows you to track the location of your phone and block it if necessary.
The latest versions of the Android operating system also have these tools. Large manufacturers (such as Samsung, HTC, LG, etc.) install their own protection mechanisms. The advantage of these mechanisms is that they work all over the world and you, as the owner, can manage them yourself.
Grey import
Grey imports are a threat at all levels: for the state (it does not receive taxes), for sellers (there is no fair competition) and for operators (phones officially imported into the Russian Federation are tested for compatibility with the network in special laboratories of operators.
From the point of view of restrictions and control of grey imports, the introduction of a single database is a sound initiative, and all telecom operators support it.
According to RIA Novosti, at a meeting of the Federation Council on the development of the information society, an initiative was put forward to create a single database of so-called IMEI mobile phones.
The authors of the project believe that the innovation will help uganda phone number library solve the problem of grey import of devices and theft of mobile phones. Can it help in practice?
Protection against theft
Technically, operators have always had the ability to block mobile phones by IMEI, but in practice this option does not work for many reasons, including legal ones: there is no single international procedure for blacklisting a device.
Each operator uses its own procedures for adding IMEI to blacklists. That is, if your phone is stolen and you want to block it, you will succeed, but only after going through the thorns and all the necessary procedures, having previously found out their sequence from the operator. It is clear that no one does this.
Thus, the presence of a common database and uniform rules for entering a phone there will significantly simplify the blocking of stolen smartphones and make life much more difficult for scammers. But do not forget that IMEI can only be changed using special software - this is already a barrier for an unprepared attacker. Moreover, a stolen phone can be taken to the nearest country where there is no uniform database.
Most modern devices already have anti-theft blocking mechanisms that can be controlled by the phone owner. Apple smartphones, for example, can be blocked using the Find My Phone function: it allows you to track the location of your phone and block it if necessary.
The latest versions of the Android operating system also have these tools. Large manufacturers (such as Samsung, HTC, LG, etc.) install their own protection mechanisms. The advantage of these mechanisms is that they work all over the world and you, as the owner, can manage them yourself.
Grey import
Grey imports are a threat at all levels: for the state (it does not receive taxes), for sellers (there is no fair competition) and for operators (phones officially imported into the Russian Federation are tested for compatibility with the network in special laboratories of operators.
From the point of view of restrictions and control of grey imports, the introduction of a single database is a sound initiative, and all telecom operators support it.