Article by Keischa Calumpiano Graphics by Kirk Patrick Besa
January 11, 2022
The Sim card Registration was signed into law last October 10, 2022, by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. According to the bill, its main purpose is to lessen phone text spams, scams, and other crimes but people thought otherwise - citizens worry that it may lead to data leaks and privacy breaches. In addition to this, the Computer Professionals’ Union (CPU) voiced out their opinion on how sim card registration is ineffective when it comes to crime. Proven by other countries that carry out the act. Another protest came from AGHAM- Advocates of Science and Technology for the People, where they tackle urban communities that lack the means to register their SIM cards. According to AGHAM Chairperson Chuckie Calsado, indigenous people, poor farmers, and urban poverty lack identification cards, thus making it hard for them to register. But these didn’t stop the sim registration plans.
On December 12, 2022, The National Telecommunications Commissions announced that the sim registration would start on December 27, 2022, and until April 26, 2023. The 27th of December came and people were experiencing site malfunctions that caused them to have less trust in the service providers holding their data. It was immediately fixed and the site was available and working the next day, although there are still minor problems such as receiving the OTP code over and over and sites kicking people out. There was even a huge stir when one telco company had the option to receive communication preferences (personalized advertisements, financial service offers, etc.) on their terms and conditions. It was then edited and had “Optional” at the beginning of the phrases. It is advisable to read before you click to avoid problems.
If you haven’t registered your sim yet, here are the information you need to provide:
• Date of Birth
• Sex
• Address
• Valid Government ID or any identification with a photo
Foreigners must also register their sim and provide personal information and passport.
Links to the service providers' registration sites can be found on their respective pages.
Reference:
Rubio, P. (2022, October 10). Marcos signs SIM Registration Act, sparking data privacy, safety concerns. Retrieved January 10, 2023 from: https://ph.news.yahoo.com/marcos-signs-sim-registration...
Tan, L. (2022, December 27). Server issues mar early hours of SIM registration. Retrieved January 3, 2023 from: http://www.cnnphilippines.com/.../SIM-card-registration...
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