NTC looking into mandating physical appearance in SIM registration

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is considering adding another layer in the Subscriber Information Module (SIM) registration process in a bid to combat fraud and scams perpetrated through alleged selling of SIM identities by unscrupulous individuals.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the telecommunications regulator said it is considering the introduction of a “personal appearance requirement for [SIM] registration, similar to the requirements for driver’s licenses and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance applications.”

The NTC admitted that the current online SIM registration process has faced criticism as a contributing factor to the surge in text scams.

The regulator alleged that unscrupulous individuals are exploiting the system by selling their identities to others, “despite the existing penal provisions that carry imprisonment of up to two or six years and a fine of up to P300,000.”

Commenting on the matter, telecommunications firm Globe Telecom Inc. said on Saturday that personal appearance “runs contrary to the principle of universal access.”

“The very essence of universal access is to provide connectivity to all Filipinos at the lowest possible price and the easiest way to get it. Requiring face-to-face registration will defeat this principle,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe Telecom general counsel.

“People from the countryside cannot and will not be able to do face-to-face registration because of the distance and challenges to travel,” he added.

Castelo said that local government units, especially in remote areas, lacked the expertise to execute successful registration.

The NTC said it is conducting a comprehensive review of the Republic Act 11934’s implementation to propose various amendments to the law in a bid to tighten rules and crackdown on SIM-related illegal activities.

In 2024, the regulator said it submitted its proposed amendments to the SIM Registration Act to the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines, to include provisions granting the commission the authority to periodically regulate the number of SIM ownership and possibly limit the acceptable number of valid government-issued identification cards.

The NTC said it recommended incorporating provisions in the law that would mandate agencies responsible for administering government-issued IDs to develop a validation platform accessible to public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to enhance the security of the SIM registration process.

The agency said PTEs have also made significant strides in combating text scams and SIM fraud last year, successfully blocking 3,339,754,576 scam messages and deactivated 3,116,889 SIMs, “which collectively contributed to the reduction of the proliferation of text scams and SIM fraud.”

“The NTC remains committed to effectively implement the SIM Registration Act and achieve the declared objectives of the law,” it said. — with Jamil Santos/RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News