IN THIS SECTION LINKS LIST ARTICLES LIST (MORE DETAIL) CELL PHONE COMPANIES (*more below) ISSUES (**more below) GOVT AGENCIES INVOLVED IN CELL PHONES SURVEILLLANCE COMPANIES LINKED TO CELL PHONES COMMENTS * CELL PHONE COMPANIES TracFone (planned purchase of Tracfone by Verizon as of late 2020; Note from PF: TracFone has consistently over the years had a lot of Eastern Indians answering the phones in what often sounds like large busy calling centers in which you hear other agents talking to customers; recently in 2020 December, I heard a rooster in the background when talking to one East Indian sounding woman, as if she was fielding calls from home (perhaps because of COVID-19 and new business practices. Because of this, please see East India Call Center corruption.) Brands In addition to its namesake product, TracFone Wireless offers products under the brands Clearway, GoSmart Mobile, NET10 Wireless, Page Plus Cellular, Safelink Wireless, SIMPLE Mobile, Straight Talk, Telcel América, Total Wireless, and Walmart Family Mobile. Nov 26 2019 Who Owns TracFone? (Before Verizon acquisition) Carlos Slim; allegedly associated with Carlos Salinas Verizon (planned purchase of Tracfone by Verizon as of late 2020) * ISSUES INVOLVING CELL PHONE COMPANIES Surveillance Tracking Tracking Customers Selling GPS locational data PRISM Hindering transfer to other cell phone companies Collusion Leaks Cult-Like Culture in some Corporations in general ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LINKS LIST https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/09/14/verizon-is-going-to-buy-tracfone-yes-trafcone-still-exists/ 2020/12/03--https //arstechnica com/information-technology/2020/12/certain major cell phone carrier-has- been-leaking-customers-personal-information-for-days-at-least/ 2020/05/04--https //thefederalist com/2020/05/04/has-china-compromised-every-major-mainstream-media- entity/ 2015/01/29--www forbes com/sites/doliaestevez/2015/01/29/billionaire-carlos-slims-tracfone-wireless-to-pay- 40-million-to-ftc-for-deceiving-consumers/#3c1fffee4b1b 2018/02/06--https //frankreport com/2018/02/06/billionaire-carlos-slim-allegedly-under-the-control-of-carlos- salinas/ 2016/04/03--https //nypost com/2016/04/03/millennials-are-being-dot-conned-by-cult-like-tech-companie https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/technology/cellphone-tracking-law-enforcement.html https://www.phonearena.com/news/tracfone-prepaid-t-mobile-sprint-verizon-att-prepaid-smartsim-dynamic- handover_id121548 https //www reuters com/article/us-doj-at-t/u-s-said-to-investigate-att-verizon-over-wireless-collusion-claim- source-idUSKBN1HR2Z8 2019/01/24--https //www usatoday com/story/tech/2019/05/06/at-t-certain major cell phone carrier-sprint-and-t- mobile-reportedly-sell-your-location-data/1118511001/ https //en wikipedia org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) 2019/01/24--https //www wyden senate gov/news/press-releases/senators-call-on-fcc-and-ftc-to-investigate-how- wireless-carriers-sold-americans-mobile-phone-locations-to-data-brokers-bounty-hunters-and-shady-middlemen https://sandaura.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/11/ 2009 Verizon's EMR noise pollution and national grid's dirty power COMMENTS Good or bad? Policing systems accessing cell phone surveillance excess capabilities might be doing it for good or bad. Criminals and anti-American groups can be trying to put a bad spin on the situation because they are guilty and fearful of getting caught with electronic information that could reveal their surreptitious activities. Gang- stalked victims might feel certain groups are following through surveillance, including in cell phones and mail. FBI might be trying to stop terrorists. Minority groups could be targeting whites; far right whites could be targeting minorities; cults could be trying to monitor and control targets; cartels could be trying to steal and control targets. In the hands of dishonest trackers, your life, privacy and finances could be in jeopardy. Even zealous police officers who think they are right could be wrong. Yet we do not want terrorists or violent criiminals oose evading law enforcement. It is the opinion of this website that no one is safe with cell phones and to consider keeping the phones off, the batteries out, when not in use, and even this might not be 100% full-proof in keeping your location from being known, and to use the phones only for emergencies. Pay attention to the accents, inflections and vocal qualities of the people answering the phone as customer service agents for cell phone companies. Try to insist on: monopoly break-ups, anti-trust, and small American companies - American cell phones for and by Americans. Monopoly break-ups include dissolving tower and line ownership into small isolated chunks so no one company or conglomerate has most or all of the control. People want nationwide coverage and better coverage in rural areas, but there has been a price to pay for this in terms of monopolies dominating the signal providing equipment as lines and towers. Currently one major cell phone company that keeps absorbing other companies to become a very large entity piggybacks on at least two other major carriers. Sim styles ie esims are making boundaries between carriers more competitive and difficult. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES INVOLVED IN CELL PHONE USAGE (governing cell phone usage, etc) FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection FCC SURVEILLLANCE COMPANIES LINKED TO CELL PHONES Securus New York Times [Also under ISSUES/Tracking Customers] 2018/05/10 Service Meant to Monitor Inmates’ Calls Could Track You, Too. By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries As location tracking has become more accurate, and as more people carry their phones at every waking moment, the ability of law enforcement officers and companies like Securus to get that data has become an ever greater privacy concern. CELL PHONE COMPANIES TracFone Who Owns TracFone? Forbes 2015/01/29 Who owns TracFone company? www forbes com/sites/doliaestevez/2015/01/29/billionaire-carlos-slims-tracfone-wireless- to-pay-40-million-to-ftc-for-deceiving-consumers/#3c1fffee4b1b Excerpt: Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim controls America Movil, which owns TracFone. “The issue here is simple: when you promise consumers ‘unlimited,’ that means unlimited,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Billionaire Carlos Slim's TracFone Wireless To Pay $40 million 2015/01/29--www forbes com/sites/doliaestevez/2015/01/29/billionaire-carlos-slims- tracfone-wireless-to-pay-40-million-to-ftc-for-deceiving-consumers/#3c1fffee4b1b. Carlos Slim and Related Information See Forbes-2015/01/29 above which shows Slim controls Movil which owns TracFone The Federalist 2020/05/04 A Rundown Of Major U.S. Corporate Media’s Business Ties To China: It seems a number of major US media outlets have financial ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and it shows in their coverage. 2020/05/04--https //thefederalist com/2020/05/04/has-china-compromised-every-major- mainstream-media-entity/ Carlos Salinas - Carlos Slim (of TracFone) allegedly under control of him Frank Report 2018/02/06 Billionaire Carlos Slim allegedly under the control of Carlos Salinas. https //frankreport com/2018/02/06/billionaire-carlos-slim-allegedly-under-the-control-of- carlos-salinas/ Excerpt: Mexican writer Diego Enrique Osorno published a book about the mysterious Carlos Slim entitled “Slim: A Political Biography of the Richest Mexican in the World.” Slim is allegedly one of the wealthiest men in the world with an estimated net worth of $70 billion….“Fear of talking about Slim was so huge, that even two former presidents who had initially given their approval to include their statements in my book, later asked the statements to be pulled,” he said. “There is great fear to speak of Slim. … and is the reason why there is very little information … there is fear Slim will carry out reprisals,” he added. There is one ex president not afraid of Slim. In fact Slim’s fortune may belong to this ex president — Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Slim became wealthy because of his ties to Salinas…As president, Salinas privatized monopolies, selling Tel-Mex, the Mexican national telephone company, to Slim for $400 million. The company was said to be worth over $12 billion at the time of the transaction in 1989. Telmex reportedly controls 94 percent of landlines and 75 percent of cellphone services in Mexico, with rates among the highest in the world. On paper, Slim owns about 2,000 other companies, including construction, finance and others. Many believe Salinas is the true owner and Slim his frontman, laundering the huge fortune Salinas stole from Mexico…Ironically, Carlos Salinas’ son, Emiliano, is a member of a strange cult that cattle brands women and blackmails them to ensure their silence. Emiliano is so brainwashed, he blindly follows the cult leader, a psychopathic dictator named Keith Raniere whose followers refer to him as Vanguard. 2018/02/06--https //frankreport com/2018/02/06/billionaire-carlos-slim-allegedly-under- the-control-of-carlos-salinas/ Verizon Prism see ISSUES/surveillance https://sandaura.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/11/ 2009 Verizon's EMR noise pollution and national grid's dirty power Android Police 2020/09/14 Verizon is going to buy Tracfone — yes, Tracfone still exists. Ryne Hager https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/09/14/verizon-is-going-to-buy-tracfone-yes-trafcone-still-exists/ ISSUES INVOLVING CELL PHONE COMPANIES Hindering Transfer Reuters U.S. said to investigate AT&T, certain major cell phone carrier over wireless collusion claim source. By David Shepardson https //www reuters com/article/US-DOJ-AT-T/U-S-SAID-TO-INVESTIGATE-ATT-certain major cell phone carrier-OVER-WIRELESS-COLLUSION-CLAIM-SOURCE-IDUSKBN1HR2Z8 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. has opened a probe into alleged coordination by AT&T Inc, certain major cell phone carrier Communications and a telecommunications standards organization to hinder consumers from easily switching wireless carriers, a person briefed on the matter said on Friday. Surveillance Also see Surveillance Companies linked to cell phones Tracking Tracking Customers New York Times 2018/05/10 Service Meant to Monitor Inmates’ Calls Could Track You, Too As location tracking has become more accurate, and as more people carry their phones at every waking moment, the ability of law enforcement officers and companies like Securus to get that data has become an ever greater privacy concern. Selling Customer GPS location data USA Today 2019/01/24 Senators Call on FCC and FTC to Investigate How Wireless Carriers Sold American’s Mobile Phone Locations To Data Brokers, Bounty Hunters and Shady Middlemen: Following Multiple Media Reports of Misuse, 15 Senators Demand Federal Agencies Investigate How Wireless Companies Share Location Data https //www usatoday com/story/tech/2019/05/06/at-t-certain major cell phone carrier-sprint- and-t-mobile-reportedly-sell-your-location-data/1118511001/ Excerpt: Washington, D.C. –A group of 15 senators today called on the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to investigate how wireless carriers allowed third parties – including data brokers and bounty hunters – to track Americans’ cell phones without consent. 2019/01/24--https //www usatoday com/story/tech/2019/05/06/at-t-certain major cell phone carrier-sprint-and-t-mobile-reportedly-sell-your-location-data/1118511001/ PRISM Wikipedia: Prism (Surveillance Program) https //en wikipedia org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) Excerpt: PRISM is a clandestine[1] surveillance program under which the United States National Security Agency (NSA) collects internet communications from at least nine major US internet companies.[2][3][4] Since 2001 the United States government has increased its scope for such surveillance, and so this program was launched in 2007. PRISM is a government code name for a data-collection effort known officially by the SIGAD US- 984XN.[5][6] The PRISM program collects stored internet communications based on demands made to internet companies such as Google Inc. under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to turn over any data that match court-approved search terms.[7] The NSA can use these PRISM requests to target communications that were encrypted when they traveled across the internet backbone, to focus on stored data that telecommunication filtering systems discarded earlier,[8][9] and to get data that is easier to handle, among other things.[10] PRISM began in 2007 in the wake of the passage of the Protect America Act under the Bush Administration.[11][12] The program is operated under the supervision of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court, or FISC) pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).[13] Its existence was leaked six years later by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who warned that the extent of mass data collection was far greater than the public knew and included what he characterized as "dangerous" and "criminal" activities.[14] The disclosures were published by The Guardian and The Washington Post on June 6, 2013. Subsequent documents have demonstrated a financial arrangement between NSA's Special Source Operations division (SSO) and PRISM partners in the millions of dollars.[15] Documents indicate that PRISM is "the number one source of raw intelligence used for NSA analytic reports", and it accounts for 91% of the NSA's internet traffic acquired under FISA section 702 authority."[16][17] The leaked information came to light one day after the revelation that the FISA Court had been ordering a subsidiary of telecommunications company Verizon Communications to turn over to the NSA logs tracking all of its customers' telephone calls.[18][19] https //en wikipedia org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) Leaks Arstechnica dot dom [Also under ISSUES/Leaks] 2020/12/03 THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BUCKET ....By Dan Goodin A certain major cell phone carrier has been leaking customers’ personal information for days (at least) A bug in a customer chat feature shows transcripts of other people's chats. 2020/12/03--https //arstechnica com/information-technology/2020/12/certain major cell phone carrier- has-been-leaking-customers-personal-information-for-days-at-least/ Collusion Reuters U.S. said to investigate AT&T, certain major cell phone carrier over wireless collusion claim. By David Shepardson https //www reuters com/article/US-DOJ-AT-T/U-S-SAID-TO-INVESTIGATE-ATT-certain major cell phone carrier-OVER-WIRELESS-COLLUSION-CLAIM-SOURCE-IDUSKBN1HR2Z8 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. has opened a probe into alleged coordination by AT&T Inc, certain major cell phone carrier Communications and a telecommunications standards organization to hinder consumers from easily switching wireless carriers, a person briefed on the matter said on Friday Cult-Like Corporate Culture - Corporations in general [Note from PF: Watch for something off in the larger cell phone corporations] New York Post [Note from PF: Although not specifically about cell phone tech culture, likely similar issues] 2016/04/03 Millennials are being dot.conned by cult-like tech companies. By Kyle Smith 2016/04/03--https //nypost com/2016/04/03/millennials-are-being-dot-conned-by-cult-like-tech-companie ARTICLES (Several of these articles might be located in more than one category) Arstechnica dot dom [Also under Leaks] 2020/12/03 THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BUCKET ....By Dan Goodin A certain major cell phone carrier has been leaking customers’ personal information for days (at least) A bug in a customer chat feature shows transcripts of other people's chats. 2020/12/03--https //arstechnica com/information-technology/2020/12/certain major cell phone carrier- has-been-leaking-customers-personal-information-for-days-at-least/ Android Police see also https://strategy4telcomediatech.com/2015/05/14/aolverizon-a-new-world-order-in-digital- advertising/ 2020/09/14 Verizon is going to buy Tracfone — yes, Tracfone still exists. Ryne Hager https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/09/14/verizon-is-going-to-buy-tracfone-yes-trafcone-still-exists/ Verizon announced today that it is purchasing Tracfone from America Movil — the Mexico-headquartered company that apparently owns Tracfone, which still exists. The acquisition will cost around $6.25 billion in equal parts cash and stock, plus 630 million in cash if certain goals are met. After the deal concludes, Tracfone customers will get access to Verizon's network, and Lifeline-linked services will continue to work. The news comes courtesy of a press release published to Verizon's site earlier today, and it sounds like nothing will really be changing for the 21 million current Tracfone customers, many of which are already essentially using Verizon service through a prior agreement with Tracfone, which is an MVNO. It isn't clear how the change might affect other Tracfone brands like Simple Mobile, though, which use other networks. After the acquisition is complete, Verizon will continue to offer so-called "Lifeline" services via Tracfone (branded as SafeLink) for those that qualify for the government benefit program. It also sounds like Verizon will keep Tracfone's existing distribution channels, including apparently 90,000+ partner retail locations. New York Post [Also under ISSUES/cults] [Note from PF: Although not specifically about cell phone tech culture, likely similar issues] 2016/04/03 Millennials are being dot.conned by cult-like tech companies. By Kyle Smith 2016/04/03--https //nypost com/2016/04/03/millennials-are-being-dot-conned-by-cult-like-tech-companies New York Times [Also under ISSUES/Tracking Customers] 2018/05/10 Service Meant to Monitor Inmates’ Calls Could Track You, Too. By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries As location tracking has become more accurate, and as more people carry their phones at every waking moment, the ability of law enforcement officers and companies like Securus to get that data has become an ever greater privacy concern. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/technology/cellphone-tracking-law-enforcement.html Excerpt: Thousands of jails and prisons across the United States use a company called Securus Technologies to provide and monitor calls to inmates. But the former sheriff of Mississippi County, Mo., used a lesser-known Securus service to track people’s cellphones, including those of other officers, without court orders, according to charges filed against him in state and federal court. The service can find the whereabouts of almost any cellphone in the country within seconds. It does this by going through a system typically used by marketers and other companies to get location data from major cellphone carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, documents show. Between 2014 and 2017, the sheriff, Cory Hutcheson, used the service at least 11 times, prosecutors said. His alleged targets included a judge and members of the State Highway Patrol. Mr. Hutcheson, who was dismissed last year in an unrelated matter, has pleaded not guilty in the surveillance cases. It does this by going through a system typically used by marketers and other companies to get location data from major cellphone carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, documents show. Between 2014 and 2017, the sheriff, Cory Hutcheson, used the service at least 11 times, prosecutors said. His alleged targets included a judge and members of the State Highway Patrol. Mr. Hutcheson, who was dismissed last year in an unrelated matter, has pleaded not guilty in the surveillance cases. 2018/05/10--https //www nytimes com/2018/05/10/technology/cellphone-tracking-law-enforcement html Reuters U.S. said to investigate AT&T, certain major cell phone carrier over wireless collusion claim. By David Shepardson HTTPS //WWW REUTERS COM/ARTICLE/US-DOJ-AT-T/U-S-SAID-TO-INVESTIGATE-ATT-certain major cell phone carrier-OVER-WIRELESS-COLLUSION-CLAIM-SOURCE-IDUSKBN1HR2Z8 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. has opened a probe into alleged coordination by AT&T Inc, certain major cell phone carrier Communications and a telecommunications standards organization to hinder consumers from easily switching wireless carriers, a person briefed on the matter said on Friday. USA Today [Also under ISSUES/Selling Customer GPS location data] 2019/01/24 Senators Call on FCC and FTC to Investigate How Wireless Carriers Sold American’s Mobile Phone Locations To Data Brokers, Bounty Hunters and Shady Middlemen: Following Multiple Media Reports of Misuse, 15 Senators Demand Federal Agencies Investigate How Wireless Companies Share Location Data https //www usatoday com/story/tech/2019/05/06/at-t-certain major cell phone carrier-sprint-and-t-mobile- reportedly-sell-your-location-data/1118511001/ Excerpt: Washington, D.C. –A group of 15 senators today called on the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to investigate how wireless carriers allowed third parties – including data brokers and bounty hunters – to track Americans’ cell phones without consent. 2019/01/24--https //www usatoday com/story/tech/2019/05/06/at-t-certain major cell phone carrier-sprint- and-t-mobile-reportedly-sell-your-location-data/1118511001/ Wikipedia: PRISM (Surveillance Program) https //en wikipedia org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) Excerpt: PRISM is a clandestine[1] surveillance program under which the United States National Security Agency (NSA) collects internet communications from at least nine major US internet companies.[2][3][4] Since 2001 the United States government has increased its scope for such surveillance, and so this program was launched in 2007. PRISM is a government code name for a data-collection effort known officially by the SIGAD US- 984XN.[5][6] The PRISM program collects stored internet communications based on demands made to internet companies such as Google Inc. under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to turn over any data that match court-approved search terms.[7] The NSA can use these PRISM requests to target communications that were encrypted when they traveled across the internet backbone, to focus on stored data that telecommunication filtering systems discarded earlier,[8][9] and to get data that is easier to handle, among other things.[10] PRISM began in 2007 in the wake of the passage of the Protect America Act under the Bush Administration.[11][12] The program is operated under the supervision of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court, or FISC) pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).[13] Its existence was leaked six years later by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who warned that the extent of mass data collection was far greater than the public knew and included what he characterized as "dangerous" and "criminal" activities.[14] The disclosures were published by The Guardian and The Washington Post on June 6, 2013. Subsequent documents have demonstrated a financial arrangement between NSA's Special Source Operations division (SSO) and PRISM partners in the millions of dollars.[15] Documents indicate that PRISM is "the number one source of raw intelligence used for NSA analytic reports", and it accounts for 91% of the NSA's internet traffic acquired under FISA section 702 authority."[16][17] The leaked information came to light one day after the revelation that the FISA Court had been ordering a subsidiary of telecommunications company Verizon Communications to turn over to the NSA logs tracking all of its customers' telephone calls.[18][19] https //en wikipedia org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program) Wyden 2019/01/24 Senators call on FCC and FTC to investigate how wireless carriers sold Americans mobile phone locations to data brokers, bounty hunters and shady middlemen https //www wyden senate gov/news/press-releases/senators-call-on-fcc-and-ftc-to-investigate-how- wireless-carriers-sold-americans-mobile-phone-locations-to-data-brokers-bounty-hunters-and-shady- middlemen Following Multiple Media Reports of Misuse, 15 Senators Demand Federal Agencies Investigate How Wireless Companies Share Location Data Washington, D.C. –A group of 15 senators today called on the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to investigate how wireless carriers allowed third parties – including data brokers and bounty hunters – to track Americans’ cell phones without consent. 2019/01/24--https //www wyden senate gov/news/press-releases/senators-call-on-fcc-and-ftc-to-investigate- how-wireless-carriers-sold-americans-mobile-phone-locations-to-data-brokers-bounty-hunters-and-shady- middlemen Updates: 2021/01/19 several updates, including menu additions and organizational headings and subheadings; Slim, Salinas and Movil/TracFone material added; 2020/12/20 PAGE STARTED