I’m admittedly fascinated by the parallels between people and non-person entities (NPEs), to the point where I asked at one point whether NPEs can use the factors of authentication. (All six. Long story.)
When I got to the “something you are” factor, which corresponds to biometrics in humans, here is what I wrote:
Something you are. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll stick to physical objects here, ranging from pocket calculators to hand-made ceramic plates. The major reason that we like to use “something you are” as a factor is the promise of uniqueness. We believe that fingerprints are unique (well, most of us), and that irises are unique, and that DNA is unique except for identical twins. But is a pocket calculator truly unique, given that the same assembly line manufactures many pocket calculators? Perhaps ceramic plates exhibit uniqueness, perhaps not.
But I missed one thing in that discussion, so I wanted to revisit it.
Understanding IMEI Numbers
Now this doesn’t apply to ceramic plates or pocket calculators, but there are some NPEs that assert uniqueness.
Our smartphones, each of which has an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.
Let’s start off with the high level explanation.
IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It’s a unique identifier for mobile devices, much like a fingerprint for your phone’s IMEI number.
Now some of you who are familiar with biometrics are saying, “Hold it right there.”
- Have we ever PROVEN that fingerprints are unique?
- And I’m not just talking about Columbia undergrads here.
- Can someone assert that there has NEVER been two people with the same fingerprint in all of human history?
But let’s stick to phones, Johnny.
Each IMEI number is a 15-digit code that’s assigned to every mobile phone during its production. This number helps in uniquely identifying a device regardless of the SIM card used.
This is an important point here. Even Americans understand that SIM cards are transient and can move from one phone to another, and therefore are not valid to uniquely identify phones.
What about IMEIs?
Are IMEIs unique?
I won’t go into the specifics of the 15-digit IMEI number format, which you can read about here. Suffice it to say that the format dictates that the number incorporate the make and model, a serial number, and a check digit.
- Therefore smartphones with different makes and models cannot have the same IMEI number by definition.
- And even within the make and model, by definition no two phones can have the same serial number.
Why not? Because everyone says so.
It’s even part of the law.
Changing an IMEI number is illegal in many countries due to the potential misuse, such as using a stolen phone. Tampering with the IMEI can lead to severe legal consequences, including fines and imprisonment. This regulation helps in maintaining the integrity of mobile device tracking and discourages the theft and illegal resale of devices.
IMEIs in India
To all of the evidence above about the uniqueness of IMEI numbers, I only have two words:
So what?
A dedicated person can create or modify multiple smartphones to have the exact same IMEI number if desired. Here’s a recent example:
The Indore Police Crime Branch has dismantled two major digital arrest fraud rackets operating in different parts of the country, seizing a massive database containing private details of 20,000 pensioners in Indore….
A dark room in the flat functioned as the nerve centre of the cyber fraud operation, which had been active since 2019. The group specialised in IMEI cloning and used thousands of SIM cards from select mobile networks.
IMEIs in Canada
“Oh, but that’s India,” you say. “That couldn’t happen in a First World country.”
A Calgary senior is warning others after he was scammed out of $1,000 after buying what he thought was a new iPhone 15 Pro Max.
“I didn’t have any doubt that it was real,” Boyd told Global News….
The seller even provided him with the “original” receipt showing the phone had been purchased down east back in October 2023. Boyd said he also checked the phone’s serial number and the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). All checked out fine.
Boyd said the first sign of a problem was when he tried to update the phone with his own information and it wouldn’t update. It was only after he took it to a representative at a local Apple retailer, that he realized he had been duped.
IMEIs in general
Even IMEICheck.net, which notes that the threat of stealing one’s phone information is overrated, admits that it is possible (albeit difficult) to clone an IMEI number.
In theory, hackers can clone a phone using its IMEI, but this requires significant effort. They need physical access to the device or SIM card to extract data, typically using specialized tools.
The cloning process involves copying the IMEI and other credentials necessary to create a functional duplicate of the phone. However, IMEI number security features in modern devices are designed to prevent unauthorized cloning. Even if cloning is successful, hackers cannot access personal data such as apps, messages, photos, or passwords. Cloning usually only affects network-related functions, such as making calls or sending messages from the cloned device.
Again, NOTHING provides 100.00000% security. Not even an IMEI number.
What this means for IMEI uniqueness claims
So if you are claiming uniqueness of your smartphone’s IMEI, be aware that there are proven examples to the contrary.
Perhaps the shortcomings of IMEI uniqueness don’t matter in your case, and using IMEIs for individualization is “good enough.”
But I wouldn’t discuss war plans on such a device.
(Imagen 3 image. Oddly enough, Google Gemini was unable, or unwilling, to generate an image of three smartphones displaying the exact same 15-digit string of numbers, or even a 2-digit string. I guess Google thought I was a fraudster.)
Oh, and since I mentioned pocket calculators…excuse me, calcolatrici tascabili…
Bredemarket 
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