It's still a proposal, not a law, so no need to panic. UK-based FlyerTalkers should take the opportunity to contact their layabout MPs, MSPs, MWA with their objections. More on the proposal here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/20/payg_database/

Meanwhile, the former Director of Public Prosecutions in England & Wales says that "restraining" civil liberties could lead to disaster http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10...erties_speech/

Labour's instinct to solving any perceived problem at the moment is: can we ban it? if we can't ban it, can we build some huge database to monitor the "problem" at great expense?

It's a pointless suggestion. If Vodafone or Orange wants to know more about me before extending credit to me, well, that's between me and them. But the government should keep its nose out of sales of consumer goods between consenting adults. Given that SIM cards are sold in markets like potatoes, evading such a ludicrous law won't be difficult.