Ditch those Burner Phones; You Can Join This Carrier with Only a ZIP Code—No ID Required

Introducing Phreeli

A new player in the US mobile market, Phreeli, has emerged with an ambitious purpose: to disrupt the typical practices of telecom companies by introducing a service centered around privacy.

What is Phreeli?

December 4 marked the debut of Phreeli, positioning itself as a mobile service carrier that puts privacy foremost and does not engage in the collection, sale, or sharing of customer data.

Typically, signing up for a mobile service involves submitting various personal details—name, address, contact information, date of birth, and more, including financial details.

In contrast, Phreeli requires only a ZIP code, a username, and a payment method—with the option to use either a credit card or a cryptocurrency for greater privacy.

Forget about contracts; Phreeli sidesteps them, making contracts unnecessary because they would mean providing personal details. Instead, they offer prepaid monthly plans from $25 to $80, depending on your data usage needs.

Legality and Operation

Building a network with its own towers would be financially overwhelming for the newcomer, so Phreeli operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), leveraging T-Mobile's network.

Providing phone services without customer names is legal across all states. Using a system called "double blind armadillo," the startup separates billing from usage, ensuring payments are verified.

Their zero-knowledge framework employs cryptographic tools to confirm service status without recording or linking data to users, effectively anonymizing service usage.

Phreeli commits to sharing customer data with third parties solely as necessary for service provision or if legally compelled.

The Person Behind Phreeli

Nicholas Merrill, founder, explained his motivations for launching Phreeli, an idea rooted in his past.

In 2004, Merrill, then owner of an ISP, defied an FBI-issued National Security Letter seeking data on a user—a stance that led to a protracted legal clash. This experience closed his ISP but inspired a mission to protect privacy in new ways.

Today's aim for Merrill is crystal clear: should any government inquiry emerge, the only customer data available is a ZIP code.

The Significance of Phreeli's Approach

Though the term 'burner phone' might conjure illicit use, Phreeli's goal is quite the opposite: normalizing privacy in phone services by drastically reducing data collection and avoiding credit checks, ensuring data isn't sold.

Phreeli's privacy focus isn't designed for malicious use; misuse like automated calls will be swiftly mitigated through blocking or severe restriction.

The concept promises intriguing potential. The unfolding story will be whether users embrace this novel service and if opposing forces attempt to hinder its progress.