US Wants to Ban “Burner Phones”: Operators May Be Required to Verify Every Subscriber

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed new mobile user identification rules. Under the initiative, telecom operators would be required to collect and verify data from new subscribers and customers renewing their contracts, including their name, address, and identity verification information.

If the rules come into force, the US mobile market could lose one of its long-standing features — the ability to purchase prepaid phones or SIM cards without full user registration.

So-called “burner phones” have become part of popular culture through movies and TV shows, where such devices are often used to maintain anonymity. In practice, these numbers are used not only by regular users but also in fraud schemes, caller ID spoofing operations, and temporary account registrations.

The changes could also affect the virtual number market. Companies providing US phone numbers for registration in international services may face additional restrictions if responsibility for user identification shifts to telecom operators and service providers.

If the new requirements are adopted, operators will need to change their subscriber onboarding and customer management processes, while virtual number providers and temporary SIM services will have to adapt to the new rules.