Changes to SIM registration opposed

By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter

TELECOMMUNICATIONS companies are opposing the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) proposal to require personal appearance for the registration of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.

“Requiring mandatory appearance for SIM registration runs contrary to the principle of universal access. People from the countryside cannot and will not be able to do face-to-face registration because of the distance and challenges to travel,” Globe Telecom, Inc. General Counsel Froilan M. Castelo said in an e-mail to BusinessWorld on Thursday.

Smart Communications, Inc. Head of Regulatory Affairs Roy D. Ibay said mandatory appearance of mobile phone users as part of the registration process was discussed when the SIM Registration Act was being crafted.

However, Mr. Ibay said this was only considered as an option and not entirely part of the registration process.

“The challenge is for the government to be able to validly verify any or all government IDs that the SIM Registration law allows,” Mr. Ibay said in a Viber message to BusinessWorld.

Earlier this week, the NTC said it is considering requiring a person to be present when registering the SIM card.

This is part of its planned comprehensive review of the current online registration process, which has “faced criticism as a contributing factor to the surge in text scams where unscrupulous individuals exploit the system to sell their identities to others.”

Republic Act No. 11934 or SIM Registration Act, which was enacted in 2022, requires mobile phone users to register their SIMs under their names or risk deactivation.

Mr. Ibay said personal appearance should only be required if there are discrepancies in validation like unverifiable identification (ID) cards or other technical issues.

“The option for mandatory appearance of users may happen if there will be a need for manual validation on unverifiable IDs submitted or other technical errors during the normal SIM registration process online by new subscribers,” Mr. Ibay said.

BusinessWorld also sought comments from DITO Telecommunity Corp. but had yet to receive a response as of the deadline.

Globe’s Mr. Castelo said if NTC is considering tapping local government units (LGUs) to oversee the registration process, some LGUs in remote areas may not be able to do the SIM registration process.

“The very essence of universal access is to provide connectivity to all Filipinos at the lowest possible price and the easiest way to get it. Requiring face-to-face registration will defeat this principle,” Mr. Castelo said.

Samuel V. Jacoba, founding president of the National Association of Data Protection Officers, said that the NTC’s proposal might be helpful in fighting fraud but the implementation of the proposal may not be feasible.

“There are millions of Filipinos with mobile phones, some using multiple SIMs. Plus, they may collect facial or other biometrics for authentication. How will they protect those sensitive personal information?” he said in a Viber message.

The NTC should come up with a more thorough operational plan that will optimize the agency’s use of public funds, Mr. Jacoba said.

Sought for comments, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC)  Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos said the SIM Registration Act also stems from the government’s ambition of digitalization.

“The whole idea of digitalization is you want it to be fully automated,” he told reporters in a cybersecurity conference. “But if it is the regulator saying it, then you have to comply.”

For now, Mr. Ramos said the National Privacy Commission is studying how to properly share data without jeopardizing or disclosing personal information.

“Right now, the whole process of authentication is critical. It is faster when it is automatic, but it should not be on level one only. There must be multiple authentication processes,” he said.

Currently, SIM card registration only requires individuals to take a photo, submit a government-issued ID card, and provide personal information.   

This process has been exploited by scammers, with some individuals selling their identities despite the existing penalties of imprisonment for two to six years and fines of up to P300,000, NTC said.

In 2024, NTC proposed amendments to the SIM Registration Act to Congress. The commission sought provisions granting NTC the authority to regulate the number of SIMs an individual can own and the possibility of limiting valid government-issued ID cards.   

Additionally, NTC is recommending a provision mandating agencies responsible for issuing government-issued IDs to develop a validation platform accessible to public telecommunications entities (PTEs).   

Last year, PTEs blocked 3.34 million scam messages and deactivated 3.12 million SIM cards, contributing to the overall reduction of text scams and SIM fraud.   

Smart is the wireless unit of PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.