The Register hilariously comments on the proposed law in Mexico that would mandate the registration of fingerprints when you buy a phone:

Phone owners not thinking of rolling someone up in a carpet and throwing them off a bridge have been urged to report lost or stolen mobile phones immediately. And don’t eBay your old phone when you upgrade, or pass it on to a pal.

After all, you don’t want to get stuck with an unpaid bill and a kidnapping charge…

As funny as their article is, the real issue is not. This is an ongoing trend of creating laws that do not serve the intended purpose and that is not likely to be followed (and in turn create a huge black market of imported phones, thus creating more criminals).

We’re seeing the same in Sweden with the IPRED implementation and the data retention directive, and the same in Finland with “Lex Nokia“. Laws aimed at trapping criminals that are already obsolete as those have already learnt how to avoid them.

The only ones (as in the case with DRM) being “punished” and controlled are those that are already following the law, the ordinary tax-payers, not the criminals/terrorists/evil genious villains.

I wan’t to say “LOL” in a sarcastic way, but it’s not even funny that way either.

Yep… From AP (via Bruce Schneier):

Also Tuesday, the Senate voted to create a registry of cell phone owners to combat kidnappings and extortions in which gangs often use untraceable mobile phones to make ransom demands.

Telecoms would be required to ask purchasers of cell phones or phone memory chips for their names, addresses and fingerprints, and to turn that information over to investigators if requested.

At present, unregulated vendors sell phones and chips for cash from streetside stands. It is unclear how such vendors would be made to comply with the new law.

The saying; “The path to hell is paved with good intentions”, comes to mind.

My guess is that black market imported cellphones will be hot items, even for lawful citizens. I know I wouldn’t leave my fingerprints when buying a cellphone from a streetside stand