Senator Grace Poe says the SIM registration bill could become a law within 2022.
The subscriber identity module (SIM) registration bill was approved after the Senate passed its version of the measure on the third and final reading in the bicameral conference committee and could become law within the year.
Senator Grace Poe, Chair of the Committee on Public Services, bill sponsor, said that this legislation is among the priority measures of the administration under President Marcos Jr., the Inquirer reported.
“This is the first bill that was passed jointly in the 19th Congress, and I’m quite proud of that,” Poe said.
"Finally, meron na tayong magagawa aside from just ignoring, deleting, or blocking the numbers with fraudulent or spam messages," Poe added.
"We now have in our hands the means to unmask the criminals who have been hiding for so long under the protection of anonymity and to bring them to justice," she noted.
The SIM registration bill aims to curb crimes such as scam text messages, by registering the details of the end-user.
Poe earlier stressed the need to pass the bill to fight the "bombardment of unwanted text messages."
Further, it mandates SIM card users to register their personal information with telecommunications bodies or authorized card sellers by presenting valid government IDs and documents. Meanwhile, minors would have to use their parents' or guardians' names.
The proposed measure covers not just ordinary SIM cards but also newer types such as e-SIMs.
Poe emphasized that "we are future-proofing a regulation that deals with technology to ensure that this law will adapt to the creative ways of fraudsters."
In line with this, the Department of Information and Communications Technology will audit telcos' compliance with security standards.
Poe noted that "heavy emphasis is placed on the absolute confidentiality of submitted information, and disclosure is only allowed upon a court order or subpoena, or with the consent of the subscriber, or in compliance with the Data Privacy Act.”
Telecommunications companies (telcos) will be tasked to protect subscribers’ personal information under the regulation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Tags: #simcard, #scammers, #dataprivacy