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Can mobile device manufacturers know a user's phone number from the SIM card inserted in device?

Howard B
2014-07-01 21:10:54
The SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) stores the connection information, including the phone number and subscription status. The manufacturer would have no information, it's the *carrier* (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) that have an interest in whether a phone is active or not.Every phone has an unique IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity) as well, which is what Verizon uses (on SIM-less phones) to provide identity information; that's why you can swap a SIM card from one phone to another (with compatible cellular radios) but can't do this with many Verizon phones.Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mobile_Station_Equipment_Identityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscriber_identity_module
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Howard B
2014-07-27 19:41:30
@Dr.sunil V: Why would the manufacturer want to access a device they've already sold to a carrier, and then was sold to you? You have several layers to go through: The manufacturer builds a phone and assigns it an IMEI number. The carrier (whether it's AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Orange, O2, or China Telecom) buys the phone, assigns it to a user who buys minutes and is assigned a telephone number (either buy putting a SIM in it or associating the IMEI number with an account), and the person starts using it.Seeing as there's no phone number assigned to the phone while it's sitting on a store shelf, the manufacturer doesn't know what phone number is going to be on what phone. Therefore, the manufacturer will have to find a way to associate the IMEI number with a phone number without being noticed...remember, the carrier handles *all* the traffic; why would the manufacturer ever "talk" to the phone via the Internet? That kind of traffic would arouse suspicion, as security analysts love to analyze the traffic to and from the devices they work with - you've no doubt heard of Apple's "diagnostic capabilities" that were just disclosed.No, I don't think *manufacturers* get any information from the phones they've sold. It's the *carriers* that associate an IMEI with a phone number. Any attempt for the *manufacturer* to send traffic over a *carrier's* network (or someone's WiFi) would be noticed.
Susendeep D
2014-06-30 15:24:15
Try he following Android app SIM CardI've checked my friend's Android phone with SIM inserted and when I gone to About Phone,it doesn't displays phone number.
Drsunil V
2014-07-21 16:37:50
I understand, but query is different
Hovsep A
2014-06-30 14:31:49
why would manufacturers get your personal info, it is up to your carrier to protect you
Hovsep A
2014-07-27 09:04:17
well maybe you have some applications installed (made by the manufacturer or by agreement) like social applications that is connecting the user to the manufacturer? Or the user opened an account in the manufacturer website like for guarantee activation and added the phone number there?
Oron J
2014-06-30 14:09:57
Phone manufacturers know nothing about you, since they only make the phones and sell them on via vendors. The phone number is provided by the mobile provider (a telecom company) - the company that provides the SIM. The SIM is essentially an ID card, identifying the user, so yes, your mobile provider should be able to tell your phone number by reading your SIM.If you are asking about a data-only service, though (e.g. for a tablet or laptop), there may not actually be a phone number associated with the SIM.
Drsunil V
2014-07-21 16:38:43
Understood!