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In the United Kingdom, under the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act, changing the IMEI of a phone, or possessing equipment that can change it, is considered an offence under some circumstances. Law enforcement and intelligence services can use an IMEI number as input for tracking devices that are able to locate a cell phone with an accuracy of a few meters. Saudi Arabian government agencies have reportedly used IMEI numbers retrieved from cell phone packaging to locate and detain women who fled Saudi Arabia's patriarchal society in other countries
produce to the National Security Agency (NSA) upon service of this Order, and continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this Order, [...] all call detail records or "telephony metadata" created by Verizon for communications[...]. Telephony metadata includes comprehensive communications routing information, including but not limited to session identifying information (e.g., originating and terminating telephone number, International Mobile Subscriber Identity(IMSI) number, International Mobile station Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, etc., trunk identifier, telephone calling card numbers, and time and duration of call."