The World Briefly

June 02, 2023

SIMply Chaos

Philippines

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A new law requiring all citizens to register their SIM cards under their legal names before July is causing an uproar in the Philippines, while tech analysts worry that the legislation is encouraging identity theft and fraud, Al Jazeera reported.

Last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr signed into law the SIM Card Registration Act, which would require citizens in the Southeast Asian country to provide identification documents in order to register their SIM cards.

The government initially set the deadline for registration as April 26, but has now extended it to July 26.

Marcos said the law is aimed at combating cybercriminals responsible for fraud, trolling, and hate speech.

But despite pledges to protect mobile phone users’ data, digital rights advocates have raised concerns about the government’s move to relax rules for obtaining IDs and registration in order to meet the sign-up target.

Last month, Secretary Ivan John Uy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology announced that SIM card sellers could assist people trying to register for a small fee.

Critics cautioned that the law’s implementation and the lax registration rules could result in more problems. They warned that the proposal to allow retailers to assist with registration for a fee could lead to potential exploitation and the selling of registered identities.

Some Filipinos have also reported being able to register without proper identification.

Advocates have questioned a provision of the law that empowers law enforcement forces to impersonate any registered SIM user as part of its “authorized activities.” They explained that the vagueness of the provision makes it unclear who is accountable, and makes it susceptible to abuse.

This story originally appeared in the June 02, 2023 newsletter, Seed to Stem.