this might not be a big deal but a person that is informed is less likely to get busted
you can never be too careful

cell phones have bills with phone numbers of all incoming/outgoing calls and text

cell phones can be remotely "turned on" to monitor it's surroundings through the microphone/mouth piece

cell phones have GPS to track where it goes

cell phones can be remotely "turned on" to view it's surroundings through it's camera/video

if i wanted to spy on somebody i would give them a cell phone that i paid the bill

some police departments give their snitches cell phones

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Tennessee to help pay for cell phones for needy

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Millions of your tax dollars are going to provide cell phones for people who can't afford them.

This month Tennessee becomes the first state in the SafeLink Wireless program.

In an emergency, cell phones can mean the difference between life and death.

No one disputes that, and most agree that giving needy people cell phones to call 911 sounds reasonable.

But in these tough economic times, some say using your tax dollars to subsidize cell phone minutes is not a good call.

The billboard sounds too good to be true, free government-funded cell phones. The offer is real, but it's not free to taxpayers. Some say it's a sign of government gone too far."

Knoxville resident Larry Lee says, "My immediate reaction is, it's the federal government taking money out of my left pocket, taking a surcharge for administration and putting it back in my right pocket, because it's just not something the federal government has any business doing."

But the government is in the business, in a way. Tracfone provides the phones. Low income people who qualify get 68 minutes of free airtime without signing a contract. Tracfone pays $3.50 per person, but the federal government pays $10. With over 800,000 eligible Tennesseans, there's potential to spend up to eight-million dollars of your tax money. Tracfone makes no apologies.

Jose Fuentes is the director of government relations for Tracfone Wireless. He says, "Since when did safety and access become a privilege. Everyone should have 911 access, everyone should have that right."

911 access is free even when the minutes run out. Some taxpayers say giving truly needy people some additional minutes seems reasonable, too.

Knoxville resident Eddie Plunkett says, "I think it's got some real merit. Particulary in certain age groups and health conditions and everything. I think it would be really advantageous."

Still, some say there's already a better way to fix the problem.

Lee says, "A lot of them are coming from non-profit organizations, people voluntarily donating money, donating old cell phones and they're refurbished and provided to people for emergency use. The cell phones companies themselves are providing this. Why do we need the federal government in the midst of this?"

Tennessee came first, but it won't be the last. Tracphone expects Florida, New York and other states to follow soon, providing help for more people and increasing your tax burden.

Omg is it safe to go outside? I think your being a little too paranoid.

Paranoid? All cellphone companies, in order to resolve billing disputes, digitally record all calls, and keep them 30 days to indefinitely, depending on the company. Police can obtain these recordings with a warrant. So, they no longer have to wiretap you while you are engaged in a criminal activity, it could be months afterward. NEVER DISCUSS ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OR RELATED MATTERS ON A TELEPHONE, WHETHER IT BE A LANDLINE OR CELLPHONE. If you must communicate electronically, do it online and use proxies.

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where can we find information regarding what companies do what?

Jst do wat i did, take an axe and repear your cell phone wit it.
That way its alllll fixed!!!!

I just did a search on this, and there is not consensus on it. I was listening to a radio program a few years ago, and they talked about this for several days. I accepted that at face value, and repeated it here. Now that I've done a little more research, I'm not so sure. Thats misinformation becomes conventional wisdom, and I'm duly ashamed.

That said, I stand by what I said about using the phone. If you need to communicate electronically, do so online and use proxy servers. I use www.hidemyass.com and can go into a chat room, here at rollitup or a private chat room elsewhere, and not be tracked. For added security, I can encrypt my data in case my pc is seized, or ecrypt my email to protect me if it is intercepted. My point is, I can communicate with near 100% safety via computer, whereas via phone the police can see who I'm calling, track my location, and with a warrant listen in.

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You know, with proxy servers, data encryption, VOIP and a laptop, its probably possible to have secure voice communication anywhere, excepting the national security agencies, that is. Of course, they have only one interest, national security.

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