The state-run National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has proposed requiring personal appearance for subscriber identity module (SIM) registration, citing concerns that the current online process has contributed to the rise in text scams.
In a press statement on Tuesday, NTC said it will conduct a comprehensive review of proposals to amend the online registration process under Republic Act No. 11934, or the SIM Registration Act.
The proposal aims to require SIM card registrants to personally appear at designated government outlets, like the way applicants for driver’s licenses and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances routinely do.
The current online registration process has been singled out as a contributing factor to the surge in text scams, in which unscrupulous individuals sell their identities to others, despite laws imposing imprisonment of up to two or six years and a fine of up to P300,000.00.
In 2024, the telecom regulator proposed to the House of Representatives and the Senate amendments to the SIM Registration Act, to include provisions granting NTC the authority to periodically regulate the number of SIM owners and possibly limit the acceptable number of valid government-issued identification cards.
Additionally, NTC recommended that agencies administering government-issued IDs, develop a validation platform accessible to public telecommunications entities (PTE) to enhance the security of SIM registration.
Last year, PTEs made significant strides in combating text scams and SIM fraud, blocking 3.34 billion scam messages and deactivating 3.12 million SIMs.
According to the telco regulator, these actions collectively contributed to reducing text scams and SIM fraud.
NTC reiterated its commitment to effectively implement the SIM Registration Act and achieve the declared objectives of the law.
