Phreeli: An Anonymous Mobile Carrier Leveraging Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Privacy
Phreeli has launched in the United States as an anonymous mobile carrier that requires only a zip code for signup, without collecting other personal data. The service employs zero-knowledge proofs to verify bill payments while keeping payment details private. Wired described Phreeli's system as the Double-Blind Armadillo.
Zcash co-founder Zooko Wilcox advised Phreeli on the application of zero-knowledge proofs to bill payments and enhancing user privacy. Customers can prepay their bills using either credit cards or privacy-focused cryptocurrencies such as Zcash or Monero. To support account recovery, users may optionally provide an email at signup.
SIM options include receiving a physical SIM card by providing a mailing address or downloading an eSIM from a Tor-hosted website. Phreeli relies on T-Mobile as its underlying infrastructure provider, while data handling is managed internally by Phreeli.
Incorporated in 2019, Phreeli has raised approximately $5 million in funding over the past year, primarily from one unnamed angel investor. The founders emphasize that the service's goal is to reduce data collection and surveillance by major carriers and is intended to protect privacy for ordinary life rather than to aid lawbreakers.
