Compared to regular SIM cards.
SIMs are easier to swap if needing to switch phone, but I only see this as a convenience. I don’t see why it would be more private.
I have little knowledge on how eSIMs work, but something in the back of my mind, tells me that somehow, eSIMs are bad for privacy :(
Anybody care to share their views on this?
I remember reading that for custom ROM developers it’s complicated (or even not possible?) to implement eSIM support because the use of it requires google services.
As I understand it, it is not impossible, just too much effort to register an esim without google services. However, once registered, they are not needed anymore. So one solution is to register the esim on stock android before installing a custom ROM.
GrapheneOS has an even better solution where you can temporarily install google services in userspace and give them control of the esim module to register an esim and then remove the access and optionally uninstall them.
All of your mobile traffic goes through your carrier. Assume that none of it is private, unless you’re taking privacy measures like a trusted VPN.
I don’t see how an eSIM is any worse than a SIM.
Totally.
I guess the privacy advantage of a regular SIM is that as soon as you pop out the sim card out of your phone, towers can’t track you anymore.
With eSIMs on the other hand, I can never truly trust that an eSIM is de-activated? Feels like you actually just have a permanent sim card in your phone and your phone can just be tracked no matter the status of your eSIM. Or is this not technically possible?
That’s correct. Iphones are especially vulnerable to that since they don’t shut down all the way and always keep some radios enabled. Android devices will generally shut down properly.
But in any case, do you really need to worry about tracking by a carrier? Locating a phone is possible but not easy and usually only happens when it’s specifically requested by the police.
If that’s your threat level, you probably don’t want to own a phone at all.
If a phone can track you with a deactivated eSIM then it can also track you without a SIM, by just also giving you a secret eSIM for use when your regular SIM is missing, and then simply lying to you about it.
The SIM is just an identifier. There’s nothing particularly special on a SIM card, that’s why the switch to eSIM has happened so seamlessly. So, you’re right; it’s totally POSSIBLE that an eSIM could stick around if you delete. But it’s also possible that your phone could save the info on a SIM card.
For the record, I don’t think that’s likely. Your phone’s operating system (iPhone or Android) is built by a different company than the carriers that presumably want to track you. I doubt they’re secretly colluding with carriers, because Apple and Google (especially Google) have enormous business models built around tracking you, and profiting off your data.
You can erase the eSim. You can also turn it off, but I’m not sure to what extent is it disabled.
Turn it off and put it in a Faraday-cage bag.
And now I have an expensive brick, as I can’t use it. Thanks.
look on the bright side; if you get a few more, you could build an expensive wall
The only thing it improves is data security which can in some extent resist against identity theft, financial fraud, etc. Does having an eSIM card improve my data security?
Yes, there are significant security benefits. An eSIM card cannot be stolen without stealing the phone, whereas removable SIM cards are sometimes stolen, and used in port out scams. That’s when identity thieves fraudulently swap stolen SIM cards into different phones to gain access to the victim’s calls and text messages. The thieves may then try to reset credentials and gain access to the victim’s financial and social media accounts.
For more information about SIM swapping, port out scams, cell phone cloning and subscriber fraud, see our consumer guide on cell phone fraud. https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/esim-cards-faq