Filipinos may soon be required to register their SIM card in person as the government is considering making amendments to the SIM Card Registration Law to fight scammers.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said on March 11 that it will submit amendments to lawmakers about the current online registration process under the SIM Registration Act, or Republic Act No. 11934.
NTC said this is to enhance security in the registration process, especially given concerns about fake identities and individuals selling their identities for potential illegal use.
The agency also noted that scammers have found ways to bypass security measures and that telecommunications firms have flagged the rise of fake identification cards.
The proposed in-person registration will be similar to the applications for driver’s licenses and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance applications.
The telcos are also asking the government for access to the database of official IDs to verify applications, according to The Philippine STAR.
The current SIM card registration process is done online and only requires a selfie and a photo of a valid government-issued ID.
The violation of the law, which includes the use of fake identities and fraudulent identification documents, has penalties of up to six years prison time and fines of up to P300,000.
Since 2022, telcos have blocked 3.12 million fraudulent SIM cards and 3.34 billion text scams.
