If you own a cell phone, at some point you’re likely to upgrade to a newer model. But what should you do with your old phone? Options include recycling, reselling, and donating. Before you hang up your old phone for the last time, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, wants you know how to dispose of it properly.
Cell phones and more complex mobile devices, like Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), are like laptop computers: they’re often repositories of personal and sometimes sensitive information, including addresses and phone numbers, passwords, account numbers, email, voicemail, phone logs, even medical and prescription information. You wouldn’t dispose of your old laptop computer without wiping the hard drive clean; mobile devices deserve the same level of attention before you discard them.
Encrypting passwords and other sensitive data stored on your cell phone, and “locking” the keypad while your phone is not in use, can help prevent unauthorized access even after your cell phone is no longer in service. Still, certain data on your phone, including personal contacts, photos and Web search terms, may be recoverable with relatively simple and inexpensive software programs.
It’s a good idea to remove personal information before you dispose of your phone. Permanent data deletion usually requires several steps. Remove the memory or subscriber identity module (SIM) card from the phone. That’s an important first step in deleting information, but you likely will need to do more to erase all the sensitive data on your device. You can command a cell phone to delete certain data, but that will only delete the references to where the data is located; the actual information stays on the phone’s operating system.
Permanent data deletion also may require you to clear data from the phone’s contacts and other stored information. Your owner’s manual, your wireless provider’s website, or the manufacturer will likely provide information on how to permanently delete information from your mobile device (and even how to save or transfer information to a new device before deletion). Make sure that you have removed the following data: phone book, any lists of calls (received and made), voicemails, sent and received email and text messages, organizer folders, Web search history and photos.
Once you have a “clean” phone, here are some options for disposing of it.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.