I’ve met one person that uses an Obama phone regularly and they say they can’t text, which doesn’t mean their phone calls can’t be listened to or they can’t be traced. Come to think of it I know one older lady that has an Obama phone because it was basically forced on her at a senior center. We pay for this phone but she never uses it— her family provides her with an iPhone, she’s quite tech savvy for 80 plus. She’s tried giving the Obama phone back and they won’t take it, also scaring her into thinking she needs a “back up” phone.
Different here. A relative of mine has to re-justify it every year or it gets taken back (not the phone, actually, but the service ends). She also gets checked that she doesn't have landline Lifelink service as well.