“Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal” Says Petition To Obama

The White House petition website “We The People” has seen many a bizarre improbable requests, including the recent petition to build a Death Star. But this latest petition to allow people to unlock their cell phones seems stemmed in a reasonable argument. So let’s start at the start.

This past weekend, the Library of Congress criminalized the unlocking of smartphones without prior consent from the carrier. Currently, people are bound by mobile contracts to not unlock their phones. The binding doesn’t apply to used phone or phones that come factory unlocked. This term has been disregarded very commonly as it is very easy to find unlocking codes and crack software online. The only immediate punishment doled out to malefactors is that they lose all the privileges described within the mobile contract (aka no free update, ever!). Now, the Library of Congress has taken things to another level by bringing the law into this. Was it really necessary? 35,000 people are saying no.

As a response to the latest ruling by the Library of Congress, a San Francisco-based creator commissioned a petition to the President asking the administration to intervene and decriminalize the unlocking of cell phones. People need their freedom to do what they wish with their smartphones! To be sure, this does not change the nature of the mobile carrier contract, so technically people won’t be allowed to unlock their phones anyway. However, the wording of the rule handed down by the Library of Congress is such that users are likely to need permission to unlock a phone even after the contract has expired. That was just the last provocation the people needed!

The signature count must hit a hundred thousand before February 23^rd in order to require a reply from the administration. If it does get to that stage, the hope for the cause is not very high. Obama would have to go against the Library, the wireless industry and some factors of the executive branch in order to side with the people on this one. That would require a really large nationwide movement that spreads wider than this singular petition. Theoretically the President does have the power to do this, but the justifications have to be stronger than they are right now.

Anecdotal evidence from the people suggests that the law doesn’t really matter and they will continue to unlock their devices anyway.