The government introduced the SIM registration act to help law enforcement in crimes involving SIMs and hopes it would become an effective tool for tracking and stopping cybercrime. SIM registration involves attaching an individual's personal information to a SIM card. A database containing SIM owners with unique identifiers can make it easier for authorities to track someone behind any suspicious or criminal activity. With RA11934, commonly known as the SIM Registration Act, it will be easier for law enforcement agencies to pinpoint the cybercriminal or any other individual engaging in illegal activities, making it easier to investigate and prosecute the offender.
The SIM registration will start on December 27, 2022. SIM users, both for physical and embedded SIMs, are required to register until June 22, 2023. Please register existing SIMs within this period to avoid the deactivation of the SIM, but if you did not register with a valid reason, you could ask the DICT for an extension. Once approved, you will have until October 20, 2023, to complete the registration process. Starting December 27, 2022, all new SIMs will be deactivated and only activated after the user completes the registration process.
Here are some of my Facebook friends' frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the SIM Registration Act. I decided to compile these questions and provide answers based on RA 11934 and the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) that come with it. Other questions specific to telcos will be added as soon as I get answers from them.
Blogger and Vlogger Earth Rullan, has several questions:
Earth: Can someone register more than one SIM under their name?
Art: The Department of Communications & Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission said there is no limit on the number of SIMs a user can register.
Earth: How secure will our data be once we register? Ngayon pa lang na di nakaregister daming scam /spam text bearing your full name! How did they even get your full details na walang registration what more when it's all registered?
Art: The Public Telecommunications Entities (PTE) or the Telcos are responsible for securing our data. The law has provisions to ensure the security of our data, and SIM registration hopes to eradicate scam and spam messages.
Earth: Will we be able to see the name of who is calling us na?
Art: No, Our data are confidential, and the law did not mention using it for caller IDs.
Earth: What will be the liability of the telcos and the government when our info gets leaked and mas naging frequent and nga spam/scam text /call?
Art: Rule VI or the Penal Provisions of the IRR states that a fine of not less than P500,000 but not more than P4,000,000 shall be imposed on telcos for breach of confidentiality. No leak will be coming from the government for the SIM registration act as it will not keep our data.
Earth: Who has access to our info? Can anyone ask the telco to give the detail?
Art: No one has access to our information, and no one is allowed to ask the telco directly for our details. Rule V or the Confidentiality Clause and Disclosure of Information of the IRR of SIM Registration Act states that any information and data obtained shall be treated as absolutely confidential except for the following instances. 1) in compliance with any law obligating the telcos to disclose such information. 2) in compliance with a court order. and 3) with a written consent of the subscriber.
Former Technews columnist and now marketing executive Glenn Ong has the following questions:
Glenn Ong: Who is responsible for registering numbers given by the company for official business purposes?
Art: The company is responsible for registering the numbers that it own. As of this writing, the information we got said that the company needs to identify the actual user of the number.
Glenn Ong: Will the registration be solely for the sim card and number or will it include the handset that comes with the number (for those with packaged mobile phone + sim)?
Art: The law is for SIM only.
Glenn: There will be online forms that people will fill out on the front end — will the inputted details be directly stored to the telcos' system or will they have to be manually encoded/transferred by humans (especially for those who will confirm/update postpaid details)?
Ex: Postpaid info originally registered is the daughter, but the actual user is the dad. During updating, the details of the dad are inputted.
Art: Postpaid subscribers must update the information they submitted when they got their postpaid plans. It will be easier for postpaid subscribers to register as the IRR states that telcos shall include the information and data of existing postpaid subscribers in the database. However, postpaid subscribers must confirm their information and data in the database to complete registration.
Below are more questions from my FB friends.
I have a postpaid account with Globe. Is it their responsibility to contact me to verify my info? -- Rene Astudillo
Hello uncle Rene. As of this writing, Telcos are now sending SMS to postpaid subscribers, informing them to wait for additional information on how to proceed on December 27.
How about sa minor na walang valid id Sir. -- Jeff Borge Bellot
Sir Art, what if below 18 pa ang user at wala syang valid ID as reflected in this post? Ang parents or guardian pa rin ang magparegister? Salamat. -- Joy Culajara Daman
Section 7 of the IRR states that for minor end-user, the registration of the SIM shall be under the name of the minor's parent or guardian and ALL of the following shall be presented. 1) Parent's or guardian's valid ID, and 2) Consent of the minor's parent or guardian to register the SIM
Sim cards used by government agencies, or private offices for their public assistance; who will be registered? -- Irwin Cacdac Emma
Government agencies or private offices are responsible for registering their own numbers. As of this writing, the information we got says that the company needs to identify the actual user of the number.
Ric Samaniego would like to know the realistic number of registration each telco can accommodate on a date. To put it simply, how much time is allotted per sim card registration?
Hello uncle Ric. We have yet to get any information about this, but I have forwarded this to all telco and will update this FAQ once I get an answer.
What if the government will just gets all the data? -- Les D Car
The telcos are responsible for keeping data confidential, and law enforcement agencies need a court order to get information about a user.
Sir Art pano mga naka POSTPAID account? sa dami hawak ng company and employee come and go kapag ang resign na pano mahahabol yung plan? -- Loy Gimps
Rule III, Obligations of End-Users of the IRR, states that end-users needs to immediately report to the telco if there are any changes in the information supplied in their application for SIM registration. Rule V of the IRR states that the telcos must "effect any change in the information in their respective SIM registers requested by their end-users within two (2) hours from receipt of such requests.
Upon registration of the SIM, does it now become a personal property right of the person who registered the SIM? Can the registered owner of the SIM convey or sell or donate the SIM legally? Just like a registered website or domain, can I sell to an interested party or parties for business purposes? -- Francis Fausto Bulaun
If registered by the company and assigned to a person, the ownership of the SIM remains with the company. You must comply with the required registration processes if you want to sell or transfer a registered SIM based on Rule V, Section 14 of the IRR, which says "the penalty ranging from six months to six years or a fine of P100,000 to P300,000 or both shall be imposed upon anyone who sells or transfers a registered SIM without complying with the required registration under the Act.
I have forwarded the questions of cybersecurity expert John Patrick Lita to the telcos. There's only one question that I can answer, as the other four involve policies and guidelines from the telcos. He wants to know what will happen if the owner of the registered SIM dies.
RA 11934 and Rule III of the IRR state that in case of the death of the end-user, the immediate family or relatives shall immediately report said information to the respective telco. Immediate family or relatives can transfer ownership of the SIM following the requirements of the Act.
This FAQ is a work in progress. Certain information that are true today maybe updated once the implementation of the SIM registration act takes effect. Send questions to my Facebook page or email me at [email protected].