Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed a law requiring all SIM cards to be registered, a move that is meant to curb mobile-phone scams and other crimes but has also raised privacy concerns.
(Bloomberg) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
has signed a law requiring all SIM cards to be registered, a move that is meant to curb mobile-phone scams and other crimes but has also raised privacy concerns.
The new law mandates telecommunication companies to maintain a register of SIM card subscribers, and submit a list of authorized sellers to the government.
A valid identification document must now be presented to buy a SIM card, and existing ones need to be registered.
PLDT Inc., Globe Telecom Inc. and DITO Telecom have all supported the measure, which was vetoed during President Rodrigo Duterte’s term due to a provision requiring registration of social media accounts.
Human rights advocates have raised concerns that the law will legitimize state surveillance, but Marcos has said the legislation has privacy safeguards.
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