> > Upon actually reading the article, this looks overblown, typical of the > current regime. > > Having a lot of SIM cards, a lot of phones, having phones in a > rack-mount form factor, and plugging SIM cards into things that are not > phones are not illegal. > > The fact that a cellphone network could be overloaded by a lot of phones > doesn't make it illegal to have a lot of phones. Even if it /does/ > overload the cellphone network, AFAIK it's still not illegal unless that > was your intention.
Yes, it's very overblown. The reports say these items were found inside of a "35 mile radius" of the UN. The total population inside that area is roughly 17 million people. 100k SIMs is a rounding error relative to the number of cellular network devices in that area. On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 5:13 AM nanog--- via NANOG <[email protected]> wrote: > Upon actually reading the article, this looks overblown, typical of the > current regime. > > Having a lot of SIM cards, a lot of phones, having phones in a > rack-mount form factor, and plugging SIM cards into things that are not > phones are not illegal. > > The fact that a cellphone network could be overloaded by a lot of phones > doesn't make it illegal to have a lot of phones. Even if it /does/ > overload the cellphone network, AFAIK it's still not illegal unless that > was your intention. > > > Their other justification is even worse: > > "These devices could be used for... facilitating anonymous, encrypted > communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises" > - MEGA YIKES. So they're outlawing encryption now? Anything that can > send communication can send encrypted communication. It's one thing if > they discovered a criminal enterprise that was actually using this > equipment as their communications hub, as I believe the law allows them > to seize stuff used for a crime regardless of its other uses. But only > in America (and Russia, Iran, North Korea) can they legally seize stuff > just because it /could hypothetically/ be used for a crime, and then not > give it back. > > > > On 23/09/2025 18:46, Mel Beckman via NANOG wrote: > > The U.S. Secret Service announced today that it dismantled a network of > electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were > used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed > towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent > threat to the agency’s protective operations. > > > > > > The SS say they discovered more than 300 co-located SIM servers and > 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites, and while the photo they provide > shows gear set up in what looks like an apartment, it could be that > interlopers have infiltrated actual Internet colo facilities. > > > > > > As a colo operator, I’ve turned away more than a few sketchy potential > customers due to their flakey stories requesting rooftop or window antenna > locations. Be on the lookout. > > > > > > > > > https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20–%20The%20U.S.%20Secret,SIM%20cards%20across%20multiple%20sites > <https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20%E2%80%93%20The%20U.S.%20Secret,SIM%20cards%20across%20multiple%20sites> > .< > https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%2520YORK%2520%E2%80%93%2520The%2520U.S.%2520Secret,SIM%2520cards%2520across%2520multiple%2520sites > .> > > > > > > > > -mel beckman > > _______________________________________________ > > NANOG mailing list > > > https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/DXT5MYKRC3UPR22Z4QZVWE7BCJFYR6LB/ > _______________________________________________ > NANOG mailing list > > https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/5YDVUIHKINT37IYGHDIERE3ITNMW6B75/ _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/ZQBBJXISLWFIOSGYCSQ4DSJEK6S2XAFN/
