Burner Phone 101

Worried about carrying your phone to a protest? Traveling soon and want to keep your data safe at the border? Just looking for ways to be less tied to your smartphone? Burner phones are low-cost, prepaid devices used to preserve privacy in temporary situations. They’re not just for activists. More and more people are using them to avoid surveillance, unplug, and compartmentalize their lives.

In this session, we’ll talk about when a burner phone might make sense and walk through a full range of options. We’ll cover three paths:

• Ways to make your smartphone more privacy-protective without replacing it
• The full range of burner phone options, from physical phones to virtual setups using eSIMs
• When you may want to leave your smartphone behind entirely

You'll leave with a clearer understanding of how phones share your location and identity, and how to pick the right approach for your needs.

This session will be hybrid, with the first hour streamed live from the Info Commons Lab at Central Library. Register via Zoom if you'd like to join remotely. If you bring your own burner phone (ideally bought with cash or gift cards purchased with cash), we’ll use the last 30 minutes to help you set it up. Leave with a working phone or the knowledge to set one up if you need it.

Rebecca Williams (she/her) is a writer, lawyer, and artist who studies how data and technology shape power. She is the Senior Strategist for Privacy and Data Governance at the ACLU, where she helps organizers build privacy-by-design practices. Her work explores legal and technical systems through writing, art, and teaching, with a focus on resisting surveillance and expanding collective control. She also serves on the board of MuckRock and contributes research to the Surveillance Resistance Lab.