The SIM registration trend continues. This time SIM registration is about to become law in the Philippines where the country's congress has ratified an act mandating ownership registration of all SIM cards for electronic devices and social media accounts. The bill now awaits the president’s signature.
The bill means that all public telecommunication entities (PTEs) will require the registration of SIM cards before the sale and activation of a subscription. All existing SIM card subscribers with active services will need to register with their respective PTEs within 180 days of the bill becoming law.
If a subscriber doesn’t register the PTE is permitted to automatically deactivate or retire the SIM card number. It will be the responsibility of the SIM card owner to report its loss or any change in the information after registration.
The reason given for the introduction of this legislation is, not surprisingly, to deter numerous crimes laid at the door of easy SIM card ownership, ranging, local press reports say, from terrorism and bank fraud to libel and trolling.
It has been stressed that all data gathered pertinent to the registration will be kept in compliance with the country’s Data Privacy Act of 2012.
It seems too that the bill has the support of operators PLDT Inc, Globe Telecom and DITO Telecommunity.
According to TeleGeography's CommsUpdate the operators have broadly welcomed the ratification of measures to implement the SIM Card Registration Act in the Philippines and expressed their willingness to implement it once it becomes law.
