1 week Ago By N/A (Dexter Barro II)
The country’s leading telecommunications group is calling on the government to establish a validated database to verify a person’s identity, instead of the proposed in-person appearance for SIM (subscriber identity module) registration. Last month, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) floated the prospect of requiring a registrant’s personal appearance in an effort to crack down on text scams. It has been reported that SIM cards already registered to certain end-users are being sold online, opening the floodgate to criminal activities.
The NTC said requiring registrants to make a personal appearance could put an end to those exploiting the mandated registration. However, the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) explained that shifting the registration from online to face-to-face would gravely slow down the entire process. PCTO Vice President Roy Ibay told reporters on Monday, April 7, that the NTC’s proposal would be a severe challenge for telcos, particularly in setting up the necessary facilities.
Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11934, which embodies the SIM Registration Act, the registration is said to be only accomplished electronically through a platform provided by the service provider. Ibay said the government should only consider a face-to-face process if a user faces a technical problem in registering online or if there’s an issue with the authenticity of their ID.
Under the law, all valid government-issued ID with a photo of the registrant is permitted for SIM registration. PCTO, whose members include telco giants Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Inc.
, said there is an issue in verifying some of these IDs since they have no database. “The government should come up with a way for telcos to verify any government ID, because that is what the law provides,” said Ibay. Ibay noted that a database to verify IDs would bolster the campaign against text scams and other fraudulent acts linked to SIMs.
In the meantime, he said the government could consider using the national ID as the sole required form of identification for SIM registration. He explained that telcos can easily verify one’s identity as the said ID already has an available database. According to the NTC, the country’s telcos have successfully blocked over three billion scam messages and deactivated over three million SIMs last year.
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