The registration of SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) may soon be like getting a driver’s license or clearance from law enforcement agencies amid the review of all the proposals for stricter implementation of the SIM Registration Act.
This, as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said it is open and will review all the proposals to come up with the best way to protect subscribers amid the prevalence of text scams and other modus despite the passage of the SIM Registration Act.
Among the proposals is the requirement of personal appearance for registration, similar to the requirements for obtaining driver's licenses and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance applications.
Last month, no less than Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro expressed the need to review the Republic Act (RA) No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act amid perceived loopholes in the law that supposedly allow the resurgence of text scams.
She is pushing to make the registration of SIM cards onsite instead of online.
“Even monkeys could register. So this is a violation of the law. The same issues will repeat if we do it online. Anyone can register,” said Castro.
“Some are buying multiple SIM cards and selling them to syndicates. That's what we need to fix. So SIM registration should be personal,” she added.
The NTC, for its part, said text scams indeed happen which leaves subscribers vulnerable to fraudulent activities.
This, despite the existing penal provisions, carry imprisonment of up to two or six years and a fine of up to P300,000.
The SIM Registration Act was signed into law in 2022. It requires the registration of SIM cards to regulate the sale and use of SIMs and to ensure that only registered individuals can access mobile networks.