As of yesterday, the process of unlocking a cellphone for use on another wireless carrier in the United States officially became an illegal practice. Today, a new petition setup on WhiteHouse.gov is aiming to change this newly introduced law.
The petition reads:
The Librarian of Congress decided in October 2012 that unlocking of cell phones would be removed from the exceptions to the DMCA.
As of January 26, consumers will no longer be able unlock their phones for use on a different network without carrier permission, even after their contract has expired.
Consumers will be forced to pay exorbitant roaming fees to make calls while traveling abroad. It reduces consumer choice, and decreases the resale value of devices that consumers have paid for in full.
The Librarian noted that carriers are offering more unlocked phones at present, but the great majority of phones sold are still locked.
We ask that the White House ask the Librarian of Congress to rescind this decision, and failing that, champion a bill that makes unlocking permanently legal.
As of writing, the petition has 19,509 of its 100,000 signatures needed by February 23, 2013, in order for the concerns of the people regarding the law to be passed up to the higher echelons of the U.S government.
You can sign the petition here.
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