Headline
SIM card registration bill gets final House nod
The form shall indicate the subscriber’s name, date of birth, gender, and address as appearing in a valid ID with a photo, and the assigned mobile number and serial number. (File Photo: Jae Park/Unsplash)
MANILA – The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a measure requiring the registration of all postpaid and prepaid mobile phone subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.
With 250 affirmative votes, six negative votes, and one abstention, the chamber passed House Bill 14, or the proposed SIM Card Registration Act, which is aimed at preventing the proliferation of mobile phone scams, data breaches, and assist law enforcement agencies in resolving crimes involving the use of mobile phone units.
Under the measure, every public telecommunications entity (PTE) or authorized seller shall require an end user to accomplish and sign in triplicate a numbered registration form issued by the PTE.
The form shall include an attestation that the person appearing before the seller is the same person who accomplished the document and that he or she presented valid identification cards.
The form shall indicate the subscriber’s name, date of birth, gender, and address as appearing in a valid ID with a photo, and the assigned mobile number and serial number.
Any information in the registration document shall be treated as absolutely confidential unless access to it is granted by the subscriber in writing.
SIM cards sold or issued before the effectivity of the proposed SIM Card Registration Act will also be required to be registered.
PTEs shall maintain a registry of all subscribers and their assigned SIM cards. They shall submit to the National Telecommunications Commission a list of their authorized sellers/agents.
Senior deputy majority leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, one of the authors of the bill, raised the alarm regarding the proliferation of text scams and fraud through the use of short message service (SMS) messaging, ranging from “ridiculous winnings” in raffles to dangerous but fake warnings about problems with bank accounts.
Marcos noted that the trend has evolved into including individuals’ full names, which is an “entirely new breach” of privacy in relation to serious leakage of sensitive information intended to keep private.
“These text scams have basically shaken or practically eroded our trust and confidence in electronic commerce and digital transactions. Regulating the purchase or sale of SIM cards, among other things, will put at rest the worries of our people that their information is being arbitrarily and maliciously shared with certain parties without approval,” Marcos said.
Other principal authors of the bill include Speaker Martin Romualdez, Tingog Party-list Representatives Yedda Romualdez and Jude Acidre.
For his part, Acidre said requiring the registration of SIM cards establishes the identity of users and makes them accountable for everything that they do with their number.
Acidre also said the bill would deter perpetrators from committing cybercrimes because they can no longer hide behind false identities.
“Each day without the safeguards from the measure makes our people vulnerable to ripoffs that take away their money and cause them anxiety; the onslaught of cybercrimes and fake news that tear away the fabric of our democracy. Jurisprudence is replete with examples clarifying the limits of our rights in cases of illicit acts or when public safety and order are at stake,” Acidre said.
Erlinda Michel Manio
September 19, 2022 at 11:38 PM
Hoping that this bill will really be in action and it can fight over a million of scammers that tend to enjoy by scamming a person. If this implimented also right then I am be calmy on this but remember that sim registration can also contain private information in which telco’s also secure it. A strong mind can fix all of those problem.
Rene Rose Oriol
September 20, 2022 at 12:08 AM
Salamat SA Diyos at naipasa na Ang batas na iyan.may proteksyon na tayo laban SA mga scammer at manloloko SA online SA wakas makakasuhan na rin Ang mga sindikato scammer at hacker .
Cecille Moreno
September 20, 2022 at 10:07 PM
Thumbs up for this one!!!Our county definitely needs it.It will save a lot of people from getting lured in easy money scams,or those who are blinded ny huge profits offered by scammers.Legit checking of accounts will be as easy as one.two,three.
Kyle Veloso
September 20, 2022 at 8:40 AM
This ia to lessen and avoid text scams that are truly spreading nationwide. Some of them are trying to convince that you’ve won from a raffle and most of them are just sending text claiming they were your relatives. These kind of scams has to end up, great jod for making it finalized the law against it. having sim card registered to it’s sole owner will surely help especiallt those who were using it for business.
Gwen Myrineth Balita
September 20, 2022 at 8:41 AM
This ia to lessen and avoid text scams that are truly spreading nationwide. Some of them are trying to convince that you’ve won from a raffle and most of them are just sending text claiming they were your relatives. These kind of scams has to end up, great jod for making it finalized the law against it. having sim card registered to it’s sole owner will surely help especiallt those who were using it for business.
Hannah Sheila
September 21, 2022 at 10:00 PM
I pray this SIM card registration bill would be implemented much sooner for this would help lessen all acts of cyber crimes such as identity theft for this guarantees no one would be anonymous behind their SIM cards. I would expect low cyber crime rates mainly involving text/SMS would follow once this is approve and implemented because in every SIM card hold their identity. For someone who’ve experienced a Brush with the cyber scammer through text without my vigilance caused by numerous news about cyber crimes before it happened I may have been a victim myself. This would protect not just masses but all establishment that depends on SMS as well. A peace of mind would be felt by all Filipinos who are working honestly that whoever they transact via text would be identified if anything happens.