US plans tougher rules on pre-paid cellphones

NEW YORK, USA: Giving a new dimension to the war against terror, New York's Senior Senator Chuck Schumer and Texas Senator John Cornyn have introduced a legislation requiring consumers to produce identification before buying pre-paid cellphones.

Schumer says pre-paid accounts are easy access for terrorists to conduct business with no record, and have been linked to suspected activity in the past.

The bill has been praised by law enforcement and has bipartisan support, even as civil liberties groups have raised privacy concerns and some terror experts say it won't deter bad behavior, said an AP report.

Though prepaid mobile phone is a lifeline for people with limited incomes, allowing them to purchase a device and a limited amount of calling time without committing to a costly contract, it has also raised serious security concerns, as such phones also have been linked to suspected terror activity — including that by Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American accused of plotting to bomb Times Square.