ABSTRACT
The unexpected consequence of the possibilities of accessibility, accountability, and transparency embedded in mobile phones is, in the words of twenty-eight-year-old Alberto, that “mobiles are not that personal.” This contradicts one of the main features of the device-its personal nature-that is commonly touted (Ito et al., 2005). The possibilities for autonomy afforded by the technical features of the device, being a personal and portable technology, are thwarted by norms and expectations of the couple.
