Article fails to mention you would need a HUGE transmitter, not just your phone. They wouldn't let you get enough transmitter on to the plane to do it. And from the ground you would have to have a strong directional transmitter with enough siting capabilities to keep the plane in line of site for hundreds of miles.
That's not something most people have access to, and in most places someone would notice that you put up a 30 foot parabolic with auto-aligning mounts on your house.
You also don't need to be on the plane. A typical ADS-B transmitter can be picked up pretty easily from over 100 miles away--I can broadcast to every aircraft over Los Angeles from my backyard if I want.
I don't know about ACARS, but I would imagine it's similar.
That's not something most people have access to, and in most places someone would notice that you put up a 30 foot parabolic with auto-aligning mounts on your house.