EU terror leads to prepaid phones initiative

Berlin — Deutsche Telekom is pressing for Europe-wide rules to stop the misuse of prepaid cellphone accounts by terrorists who use them to elude wiretapping. The carrier will reach out to politicians, competitors and regulators to discuss possible measures, including mandatory ID checks for people who buy prepaid cards and a limit on how many each person can buy, according to a spokesman, Andreas Middel. Tightening the rules could make it harder for terrorists and other criminals to use cellphones for their activities, taking away a tool often used to obscure their identity.

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