MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure making cellphone SIM registration compulsory in a move to fight text scams and online frauds.
The bill was passed last month after a controversial provision requiring social media users to register their real names and phone numbers was dropped.
Under the new law, users will have to show photo identification and complete a registration form with their personal details before buying a SIM card. The measure has been touted as a key step in combating spam and scam text messages, which usually include offers of fake jobs or promises of prize money.
After signing his first law since taking power in June, Marcos said: “This legislation is going to be welcomed by many of our people, especially now with reports of the commission of various crimes using mobile phones, including proliferation of text scams and spam.”
The Philippines’ population of 110 million people relies heavily on mobile devices for various daily needs, and there were more than 156 million cellular mobile connections at the beginning of 2022, data from GSMA Intelligence showed, as many Filipinos use more than one SIM card.
Users often buy prepaid SIM cards over the counter, which are purchased without the buyer giving their name or address.
The new law, which is also set to penalize those who use false information when registering, will be applied to tens of millions of existing users, who have to give their details to the telecom providers within a certain time period or risk being disconnected.
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy said: “The prescribed time has to be set by the National Telecommunications Commission and (after) consultation with the telcos because they have to prepare the systems.”
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said the new law will help tackle cybercrimes.
He said: “Telecommunication has been revolutionized extensively over the years, such that even criminal syndicates and terrorist organizations have taken advantage of technology for criminal and terrorist activities.
“They hid behind the comfort of anonymity by using prepaid SIM cards to defraud unsuspecting victims.”
Stephen Cutler, security expert and former FBI legal attache to the Philippines, told Arab News the new law could help reduce scams.
He said: “I don’t know how much it’s going to make a difference, (but) it is better than nothing.
“Scammers are going to scam. And so, just because you have a registered SIM card, I don’t think it’s going to stop scams. I think it will reduce, but it won’t stop.”
