[amw]

> is something that might be defensible.

I would like to propose that it never is, and only seems so sometimes because our society is insane.

[zamnos]

I don't think I'm insane for not wanting my cellphone to get stolen and then be sold as a working phone to somebody else. Anything to cut down resale value of stolen phones. With full root you can overwrite the IMEI, and the stolen phone is as good as new.

[phpisthebest]

The other way to do that, which I know is crazy in modern times, is to actually enforce property crime laws and punish people that steal things...

how novel...

instead we have to accept draconian controls on our ownership of devices as a way to combat theft. I would much rather see criminals punished....

[amelius]

This is orthogonal to owning. A third party could be the one checking for stolen phones if you implemented it the right way.

[scarface74]

If you don’t want the carrier to lock your phone and give you a discount, then pay full price for it.

[suavesito]

My viewpoint is not that it is fair or not for the carrier doing so. But that restricting freedom from a users device and software should not be allowed. This means that if the carrier decides to sell devices via some kind of credit it cannot take away the freedoms of the user (and future owner) of the device, but the carrier can decide simply to not sell devices via some credit.