US passes law that legalizes self-unlocking mobile phones

A law has been passed in the United States that ensures that phone owners can legally unlock their device. This makes it possible to use the phone on a different network. At the moment, permission from the telecom provider is still required.

The bill was previously discussed in the Senate and has now been passed in the US House of Representatives. The bill has yet to be signed by President Obama, but he has already said he will not object. After the law, the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, comes into effect, Americans will be able to legally unlock their phones, without needing permission from the telecom provider. By unlocking a mobile it is possible to use it on another network.

In 2010, a law was passed that made jailbreaking and unlocking mobile phones legal. However, this required permission from the provider. However, telecom providers could decide for themselves when a customer is eligible to unlock his or her device. In addition, it was determined in 2012 that unlocking a phone yourself, ie without the permission of the provider, is illegal: the US Congress then ruled that unlocking mobile phones did not have to be exempted from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. As a result, unlocking is currently still marked as copyright infringement.

With the adoption of the aforementioned unlock law, which was put on the map among politicians by a petition from citizens, that will change. Once the law has been passed, it will have to be determined again in 2015 whether unlocking remains legal. After that, it will be determined every three years whether the law regarding unlocking will be maintained. It must also be determined whether the legislation will also apply to tablets and other devices.