Law Enforcement Rallies Behind Verizon for Waiver of Phone Unlocking Rules
Growing number of police groups oppose an unlocking mandate
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2025 – As the Federal Communications Commission weighs a petition from Verizon to waive its mobile device unlocking obligations, a growing number of police associations have lined up behind the carrier, arguing that unlocked phones were aiding criminals.
In formal comments filed to the FCC, groups including the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association, the Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association, and the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Association voiced concern that the requirement on Verizon to unlock phones within 60 days has enabled identity theft, phone trafficking, and cartel activity.
“Verizon’s current unlocking requirement, while originally implemented with consumer choice in mind, has unfortunately become a tool exploited by criminal elements engaged in identity theft, drug trafficking, and international phone smuggling operations,” the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association wrote in a filing to the FCC on June 18.
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The Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Association raised similar concerns in a filing on June 24. “Our narcotics units and task forces combating human trafficking have repeatedly encountered scenarios in which unlocked phones are used to evade detection and frustrate ongoing investigations,” the group wrote. “Locked phones, particularly those restricted to a single carrier like Verizon, offer law enforcement a necessary investigative foothold – often serving as the only link between a suspect and a larger criminal network.”
Verizon sought relief in May from both the 60-day handset unlocking rule tied to its use of 700 MegaHertz (MHz) spectrum and the device unlocking requirement imposed during its acquisition of TracFone. Under Verizon’s current unlocking policy, newly purchased devices are “locked” to work exclusively on the Verizon network for 60 days, after which they are automatically unlocked unless the device is deemed stolen or purchased fraudulently. Verizon and T-Mobile both have federally enforced phone unlocking mandates.
“We urge the Federal Communications Commission to approve Verizon’s waiver request,” wrote Brian Luciano, executive director of the Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association, in a filing. “Doing so will enhance public safety, support lawful investigations, and ensure that mobile device policies do not inadvertently empower criminal actors.”
Unlocked phones are a 'favorite tool for those engaged in identity fraud', group claims
TPPA argues that unlocked phones are a “favorite tool for those engaged in identity fraud.” They say criminals use stolen or fake identities to acquire phones at reduced prices, quickly unlock them, and then resell them on secondary or overseas markets. Once unlocked and sold, these devices become extremely difficult to track, making it more challenging for authorities to investigate the original theft or any related financial crimes.
Furthermore, they claim that unlocked phones enable drug trafficking and cartel communications because they are often swapped out rapidly, unlocked, and given new numbers or carrier plans, hindering efforts to conduct surveillance or legally track activity. In contrast, locked phones tied to a carrier help police trace ownership, determine identity theft, and gather information on criminal networks.
More broadly, TPPA feels that unlocked phones impair law enforcement and investigations, as most modern investigations rely primarily on digital evidence. While a locked phone can provide detectives with a starting point to connect individuals, locations, and patterns, once a phone is unlocked and its link to a specific carrier is removed, “that critical investigative connection is often lost,” TPPA wrote. Thus, removing Verizon’s requirement to unlock their devices reinforces accountability and limits the tools criminals use to hide behind digital anonymity.
“Verizon’s request is a responsible step that balances consumer access with pressing public safety needs,” TPPA wrote. “It is not an overreach, but a necessary correction to an outdated policy that now serves criminals more than consumers.”
The FCC is accepting public comments on Verizon’s petition under dockets WT 06-150 and WT 24-186 through July 7, with reply comments due July 21.
A broader FCC rulemaking launched in 2024 aimed to establish uniform unlocking requirements across all carriers, potentially cementing the 60-day timeline into regulation, but that proceeding has seen little progress since the FCC’s leadership changed earlier this year.
