Recently, it became illegal to unlock your cell phone. It was an obviously controversial move, as unlocking devices is a key way for many people to sell devices, switch carriers, or simply trade handsets when they see fit. The move to make that process illegal put a damper on those plans, though, and it understandably caused a lot of people to get up-in-arms about the legislature put in place.
An online petition was started, and it reached over 100,000 signatures. If a petition reaches that particular milestone, it is White House policy that they respond to the petition, and provide their feedback. According to White House Senior Advisor for Internet, Innovation and Privacy, R. David Edelman, the White House agrees with the petitioners, and believes that the ability to unlock cell phones shouldn't be illegal. He points out that anyone should be able to use their device on another carrier, as long as they are not bound by a service agreement.
There are still plenty of hurdles to surmount, though. The White House simply giving their opinion on the subject doesn't mean that the law is retracted. However, Edelman does point out that the White House would be willing to support options, such as "narrow legislative fixes." Those legislative fixes would focus on pointing out that a person should be able to unlock their device, as long as the carrier's contract or service agreement is taken into consideration.
We'll have to wait and see where this goes, but for now it's a good sign that the White House agrees on this particular subject.
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