DOMINICAN COLLEGE OF TARLAC, INC.

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

McArthur Highway, Poblacion (Sto. Rosario), Capas, 2315 Tarlac, Philippines
Institutional Contact Nos.: +63938-918-4093 / +63966-399-2750 / +63966-399-2752
Website: dct.edu.ph | E-mail: domct_2315@yahoo.com.ph / domct_2315@dct.edu.ph

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act

The Philippines had about 169 million mobile customers as of 2019, and as
a result of advancements in communication technologies, they currently enjoy
greatly improved mobile connectivity. Although these services have simplified
life, they have also brought along cutting-edge security risks like fraudulent
phone-based activities like texting scams. In 2021, there will be 2.8 million cyber
tip reports for the Philippines, up from 1.2 million in 2020 and 400,000 in 2019,
predicts a report from the Department of Justice's Office of Cybercrime. As his
first piece of legislation as president, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed
the SIM Card Registration Act into law. Through a significant decrease in spam
and fraudulent SMS messages, the SIM registration requirement offers a level of
protection that is advantageous to all Filipinos. This regulation will prevent
criminals from using the anonymity provided by prepaid SIM cards.

According to Globe (2022), who wholeheartedly endorses the

government's choice to make SIM registration mandatory as a crucial step in
confronting criminal activities. The SIM Registration Law will also aid Globe in
thwarting SMS scams and spam. Due to the increased risk of a security breach,
the National Privacy Commission (NPC) has advised against having a
centralized server or database. The NPC stated that PTEs may only process,
activate, or cancel a SIM or subscription using the database, which was
intended to encourage Filipinos to register their SIM cards. The court may require
telecommunication firms to furnish data for identity tracing in cases of criminal
activity involving mobile devices or text messaging. The SIM Card Registration
Law places an emphasis on text message accountability and promotes
consumers' responsible usage of communication services. Now, victims of
phishing schemes can report them in an effort to find the perpetrators.
Following a vote of 250-6-1 in the House of Representatives, the law
mandating the mandatory registration of subscriber identity modules (SIMs) in
the Philippines was adopted by the Senate on second reading. The Senate
Public Services Committee's chair, Senator Grace Poe, expressed hope that the
proposed SIM Registration Act (Senate Bill No. 1310), if quickly passed, would
assist reduce crimes committed with mobile phones and other electronic
devices. If the bill is approved, SIM card users would be obliged to provide valid
 DOMINICAN COLLEGE OF TARLAC, INC.
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
McArthur Highway, Poblacion (Sto. Rosario), Capas, 2315 Tarlac, Philippines
Institutional Contact Nos.: +63938-918-4093 / +63966-399-2750 / +63966-399-2752
Website: dct.edu.ph | E-mail: domct_2315@yahoo.com.ph / domct_2315@dct.edu.ph

government identification documents and register their personal information

with telecommunications agencies or authorized card merchants (CNN
Philippines, 2022).

Rappler (2022) claims that although the law's intention is to protect users
from fraud and quicken law enforcement's investigation of phone-related
scams, it has enforcement and data security flaws. The measure's opponents
also made the point that con artists might easily move to other strategies for
getting individuals' personal information. The regulation's justification is simple:
registering SIM cards makes thieves more visible. Banks, data protection
organizations, and telecoms firms all favor the plan. Privacy attorneys counter
that criminals can easily move to other consumer fraud schemes. A
cybersecurity policy analyst named Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos stated to
Philstar.com in February that registering SIM cards comes with more risks than
rewards.

REFERENCES:

CNN Philippines. (2022)

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/9/20/House-Senate-oks-SIM-card-
registration-bill-.html

Globe. (2022)

https://www.globe.com.ph/go/technology/article/sim-card-registration-
law.html#gref

Rappler. (2022)

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-sim-card-registration-
bill-dead/

FLORES, Rachell Joy E.

STEM-2A DOMUS AUREA