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.
Privacy on cell phones is kind of
impossibleunrealistic.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.
Well, I can happily check all those boxes
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There is no such thing as a private carrier anywhere in the world I think. Cellular networks are tracking networks.
You actually can setup your own private 4g/5g network, it’s more targeted for IoT though
Just do everything on Signal or something maybe?
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.
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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
Don’t know if that covers your need, but at least their angle is privacy:
Straight talk or similar services that you can buy in store for cash.
