Cellphone users looking to unlock their devices have found an advocate in the White House. Responding to a petition filed by angry consumers, the Obama Administration has gone on the record stating that users should be free port their smartphones to any mobile carrier.
Over 100,000 petitioners rallied to protest the ban on unlocking smartphones, a ban which was imposed by the Library of Congress and which took effect in January, Reuters reports.
Carriers argue that smartphones are given to customers at great discount and that barring free-market capitalism is thus required. The Library of Congress took the argument one step further, apparently finding that smartphones are protected intellectual property that may not be resold.
“The Library of Congress, which among other things is responsible for setting rules and deciding on exemptions related to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, said on Monday the issue would benefit from further debate and that its intention was not to supplant public policy discussion,” Reuters reports. “The Library of Congress …decided that cellphones should no longer be exempted from the relevant section of copyright law, triggering the January ban on “unlocking.”
Petitioners contend that preventing “unlocking” reduces consumer choice and resale value of phones, which can cost hundreds of dollars without subsidies from carriers like AT&T Inc, Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Apparently, the White House agrees.
“The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties,” R. David Edelman, a senior advisor for Internet, Innovation, & Privacy to the Obama administration, wrote in the White House’s response.
“This is particularly important for secondhand or other mobile devices that you might buy or receive as a gift, and want to activate on the wireless network that meets your needs – even if it isn’t the one on which the device was first activated. All consumers deserve that flexibility.”