I mean it’s also 2026… you can drive 3 cities away, buy a burner phone with cash. Make a call, smash the phone with a rock and throw it in a dumpster. Then it’s down to scary facial recognition tech assuming the store you bought it from has security cameras.
The last time I bought a prepaid phone, I had to give them my identity to register it (not an eSIM), but you could just as easily drive three cities away and use a pay phone at a truck stop or train station (only places I see them anymore, and they’re often hidden away, but still there). Maybe take a cab from a nearby area to the truck stop to avoid linking your license plate with it? I’m honestly not sure if they’d put that much effort into solving it, but you could also probably ask to use the phone at a library and they’d let you (though it might not be private enough for you to make it a convincing call)
I believe burners are still feasible, it’s been several years since I’ve done it, but at least as far as I know trackphones let you buy them with cash, buy a card for service with cash. Some stores with policies try to comply with a law that never passed, but I’m pretty sure that option is still around. But yeah using other peoples phones, payphones etc… is always a possibility as well.
I still remember the futurama episode where they find an actual phone booth, and respond “Oh wow, they put phones in booths now, that’s amazing, now I don’t have to carry this phone in my pocket all the time!”
I mean it’s also 2026… you can drive 3 cities away, buy a burner phone with cash. Make a call, smash the phone with a rock and throw it in a dumpster. Then it’s down to scary facial recognition tech assuming the store you bought it from has security cameras.
The last time I bought a prepaid phone, I had to give them my identity to register it (not an eSIM), but you could just as easily drive three cities away and use a pay phone at a truck stop or train station (only places I see them anymore, and they’re often hidden away, but still there). Maybe take a cab from a nearby area to the truck stop to avoid linking your license plate with it? I’m honestly not sure if they’d put that much effort into solving it, but you could also probably ask to use the phone at a library and they’d let you (though it might not be private enough for you to make it a convincing call)
I believe burners are still feasible, it’s been several years since I’ve done it, but at least as far as I know trackphones let you buy them with cash, buy a card for service with cash. Some stores with policies try to comply with a law that never passed, but I’m pretty sure that option is still around. But yeah using other peoples phones, payphones etc… is always a possibility as well.
I honestly forgot that payphones still exist
I still remember the futurama episode where they find an actual phone booth, and respond “Oh wow, they put phones in booths now, that’s amazing, now I don’t have to carry this phone in my pocket all the time!”