The board of Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has reportedly approved draft rules that would require telcos to add biometrics to their SIM card registration processes.
According to a report in the Bangkok Post on Thursday, the new rules – which will update the 2019 rules for SIM card registration systems – will authorise telcos to collect biometric data to be applied to SIM registration.
The NBTC said the new rules are meant to combat online fraud and voice spam by preventing the creation of “mule accounts” that are used to launder money or perpetuate scams.
NBTC commissioner Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn said biometrics would prevent fraudulent registrations in which people use fake, edited or outdated photos to register for SIM cards, the report said.
Nathathorn added that mobile operators will have 180 days to provide biometric systems for new SIM card registrations via their registration channels and customer service shops once the rules are in force. The NBTC board plans to discuss the measures in more detail before finalising them.
Nathathorn noted that while some telcos already use biometrics in some form, the NBTC wants them to either upgrade those systems or adopt a system similar to those used by mobile banking services, the report added.
The NBTC didn’t specify what kind of biometrics should be adopted, but facial recognition is the most likely candidate, as banks in Thailand currently use facial recognition for mobile banking apps.
Telcos in other parts of the world have also adopted facial recognition for SIM registrations. In Indonesia, for example, XL Axiata and Telkomsel implemented facial recognition tech into their prepaid SIM registration processes late last year as a measure to combat fraud and elevate Know Your Customer (KYC) standards.
That said, biometric systems also pose serious challenges related to data privacy and protection. In 2023, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) scrapped a plan to require telcos to collect biometric data for SIM card registrations after deciding Namibia didn’t have a sufficient data protection legislative framework to allay public concerns over collection and storage of biometric data.
Meanwhile, the NBTC’s draft rules also impose new limits for SIM cards purchased by foreigners. Under the new rules, foreigners can buy a maximum of three SIMs per person per service provider, the Post reported. The NBTC also resolved to ask telcos to limit the validity of SIMs used by foreigners to 60 days.
