Is unlocking legal?

If the carrier unlocks it for you then it is legal. If you do it on your own it is illegal.

Here's what you can run into if you install modified software to unlock the phone without having it done by the provider:

Unauthorized modification of iOS has been a major source of instability, disruption of services, and other issues

Have your the network provider your phone is locked to unlock it for you. That's legal.

KC7GNM wrote:

If you do it on your own it is illegal.

That statement is not actually true. Any phone purchased before 1/26/2013, in the US, can be legally unlocked by the owner.

Not true. Everything I have read says that even unlocking phones bought before that date is illegal. Also says that if you unlocked a phone before that date you are grandfathered in yet if you sell the unlocked phone then you can face charges.

Well, all I can say is your wrong.

And all I can say is you are wrong until you prove otherwise.

You are wrong.

Nope. I work for a prominent network provider and I am tasked to accept requests for unlocking iPhones. I investigate on these things. It's definitely not illegal.

Prove it then.

Prove what? Look it up yourself.

I did and as I explained to wjoston all the articles I found said that if you unlocked it prior to that date you were grandfathered in. If you unlock any phone after that date then you can face fines. What I asked you and wjoston is to prove me wrong but you haven't or can't show me proof.

I guess you haven't seen the new law then.

If you re-read your posts, I said you are wrong with respect to phones unlocked prior to that date.

You wrote "Everything I have read says that even unlocking phones bought before that date is illegal. "

Again, that statement is wrong.

wjosten wrote:

Any phone purchased before 1/26/2013, in the US, can be legally unlocked by the owner.

Actually that is the date when unlocking became illegal in the USA. Unlocking before then is still legal. The purchase date of the phone has nothing to do with it.