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I'm wondering if there is anything like macchanger or what commands/configuration we can use to change/spoof the IMEI on touch phones.

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It's possible to loose your IMEI on Android phones and Ubuntu phones are not much different (12), but how did you come up with the idea that changing your IMEI or MAC will result in any kind of increased privacy?

Changing your IMEI to that of another user or an invalid one may actually make your phone look more suspicious and may even lower your privacy, get you blacklisted by the operator or subject to investigation by law enforcement. You are underrating what ever entity you are trying to hide from or are concerned about (12). Modifying some technical thing that you probably don't really understand what it's for and how it's actually being used doesn't change the fact that you are trying to use a product intended to be most useful to you if it knows as much about you as possible.

You should also have realized that your phone connects to a network that someone else operates and that you have no control over. You are just a participant. Even though the device is running Ubuntu it also runs closed source software called the baseband or radio image on Android (12) which is responsible for communicating to the network. There is no way in this model to establish trust from the user perspective and therefore no reasonable expectation of privacy for a user when connecting to and communicating in mobile networks. Changing the IMEI won't change anything.

Using strong encryption while it is legal or available (123) may make it more difficult for a certain period of time but not impossible of being eavesdropped (12).

If you didn't get the news: There are several agencies from a wide variety of countries working together analyzing every user of every network with all the solutions they currently have at their disposal or they just store the data for later. If spying on citizens is illegal in your country, no problem another countries' agency is stupid willing enough to help out and bypass laws. That's what you should have learned by following the news in the last few years, but there is still more to come.


Disclosure:

  • I'm not a Ubuntu phone developer or maintainer
  • I'm not a Ubuntu customer representative
  • I'm not a security researcher nor do I work for a mobile carrier or other network operator
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  • Changing the mac provides some privacy when you connect to public wifi networks(e.g. the network provider is no longer able to trace your location). The encryption doesn't help you in this regard. Even if you use encryption the wifi provider can still tell where you've been hanging around(hotel, starbucks_wifi etc).It seems apple is doing this[0], though I can't confirm you b/c I didn't test it. I was hoping something similar can be done on phone devices by changing the IMEI. [0] appleinsider.com/articles/14/06/09/… Aug 7, 2015 at 0:51
  • It's also worth to note that as client you have power over the information sent so the network operator doesn't know your identity unless you disclose it. Without being able to change the identifiable information(e.g. IMEI) you are left with no choice but to trash the device (not only the SIM card) which seems wrong to me. Aug 7, 2015 at 0:59
  • As far as I understood the phone randomizes MAC addresses when searching for wifi networks, which means networks you are not connected to but that collect data without your consent anyway. There is no word about IMEI. Don't use public wifi or mobile networks if you are concerned about the integrity and privacy of your communication. Private companies or government agencies violating your right for privacy should be shut down, everything else will be a cat and mouse game because devices leak all kinds of information about how they operate – even if you use solutions like TOR.
    – LiveWireBT
    Aug 7, 2015 at 6:21
  • TOR doesn't solve the issue I raised(e.g. tracing you by the mac address). If I connect with the same device from my home, then hotel and then other places someone can trace my location using just this information. I gave the apple -> mac address randomization as an example to validate the privacy issue. The mac address can be fixed (see macchanger) but I couldn't find any solution for the IMEI thus the question. Aug 7, 2015 at 6:34
  • It seems that for some reasons you don't consider the mac address and IMEI a privacy issue. I'm aware of TOR, VPN and other secure networking protocols but this question is not about how to encrypt my connection is about how to prevent my device being traced. I think your answer is quit wrong. Changing the mac and perhaps the IMEI means a lot. Aug 7, 2015 at 6:41
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It seems currently it's not possible to change/randomize the IMEI on ubuntu. It's worth to note that there are several tools on android that allow that and more (e.g. MEID)

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