I see a lot of recommendations for various services and products which are respect privacy, but I don’t think I have seen any discussion around cell phone carriers (service providers). I am aware of some of the advantages of using VOIP as a phone service. However, if VOIP is not desired, what are good options for an US phone carrier which provides a physical SIM or eSIM?

I am guessing I have not seen this discussed because phone calls and SMS texts come with inherent insecurities and can always be associated to your phone number. However, I would assume some carriers sell users data more heavily than others. If anyone knows some recommendations, or can explain what to look for, many thanks.

  • jacktherippah@lemmy.world
    16·
    1 year ago

    There is no such thing as a private carrier anywhere in the world I think. Cellular networks are tracking networks.

    • andruid@lemmy.ml
      1·
      1 year ago

      You actually can setup your own private 4g/5g network, it’s more targeted for IoT though

  • makeasnek@lemmy.ml
    131·
    1 year ago

    CREDO is a US carrier which donates lots of money to progressive causes, advocates for user rights, and is run by a non-profit. You may not love all their politics, but I think this is about as close to a privacy-preserving carrier as there is. Keep in mind all carriers use the same infrastructure, so the only additional benefit you can receive from a “privacy-aware carrrier” is that they personally won’t sell your information more than it’s already sold.

  • Manifish_Destiny@lemmy.world
    101·
    1 year ago

    Privacy on cell phones is kind of impossible unrealistic.

    Ideally you’d use signal, an always on VPN, and a privacy centric OS.

    That’s about the best you can reasonably do. Also buy your phone directly from the manufacturer.

    Assume everything is tapped by the NSA, because it probably is.

  • carzian@lemmy.ml
    5·
    1 year ago

    I’m using US Mobile. You can choose between using their GSM network (T-Mobile) or their CDMA network (Verizon). Their prices are fantastic and it’s all prepaid, so you can limit how much personal information you give them. They’ve worked out a deal with Verizon so your data isn’t deprioratized even though you’re not a primary Verizon customer, so there’s no speed penalty. I’ve been very happy with them

  • bernard@lemmy.filmEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    What carriers do with our data is a black box and changes all the time. They must do whatever the government compels of them. No opensource baseband options are available. Therefore I would not trust any of them.

    It is best if you can decouple the phone number you use from the provider of the SIM card.

    1. Get a SIM card for data only with no KYC such as Mint Mobile or Ting for physical prepaid cards or jmp.chat or PGPP for pay as you go ESIM. Your voice and location give away your identity. So for maximum privacy, never make calls with the number associated with the SIM card nor activate cellular near your home.

    2. Transfer your number to a VOIP provider such as voip.ms or jmp.chat. Of course use encrypted messaging and calling as preference whenever you can.

    For years I have been paying less than $20 a month and have a few phone numbers. Governments and corporations have no idea where I am. Because my phone is anonymous, they would have a hard time deploying malware onto it if they wanted to target me. Most data goes through a VPN.