With Republic Act 11934, also known as the “Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act” signed into law and its corresponding Implementing Rules & Regulations (IRR) published, the infamous legislation is set to take effect tomorrow, Tuesday, 27 December 2022.
The SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) Card Registration Law requires all mobile phone users to register their SIM cards with their respective mobile phone service providers. The law aims to improve the security and integrity of the country’s telecommunications system, as well as to help law enforcement agencies track and investigate crimes that may have been committed using mobile phones.
To register a SIM card in the Philippines, a mobile phone user must present valid identification documents to their mobile phone services providers, such as a government-issued ID or passport. The service provider will then verify the information provided and register the SIM card in their database.
This law applies to all mobile phone users in the Philippines, including both prepaid and postpaid users. It also applies to SIM cards that are purchased from authorized dealers or retail outlets, as well as those that are obtained through other means, such as online purchases or gifts from friends or family members.
Mobile phone service providers are required to keep records of all SIM card registrations for at least five years, and to make these records available to law enforcement agencies upon request. Failure to register a SIM card or to provide accurate and complete information during the registration process can result in fines or other penalties for the mobile phone user.
Based on this law, existing prepaid mobile users have 180 days (from 27 December 2022) to register their SIM Cards. The legislation also mandates for all SIM Cards purchased starting 27 December 2022 be inactive until registered (something similar to how Singapore is implementing their SIM Card Registration for tourists which I documented here).
A copy of the published IRR is attached to this article for our reference:
How to Register your Philippine SIM Card?
To register your Philippine Prepaid SIM Card, all you need to do is navigate to the designated website created by your telco for this purpose. Please take note that the instructions below generally apply to Prepaid SIM Card users. Technically, there is an existing SIM Card Registration process already for postpaid subscribers (heck, telcos may even have more data about their postpaid subscribers than what is required by RA119134).
DITO Telecommunity
If you have a DITO SIM Card, simply go to https://bit.ly/HowToRegisterDITO for their quick guide.
Globe Telecom
For Globe Telecom users, please go to https://glbe.co/simregfaq to know how you can register your Prepaid SIM Card.
Smart Communications
To register your Smart SIM Card, please go to https://smart.com.ph/simreg and follow their instructions.
Touch Mobile
If you are registering your Touch Mobile SIM Card, please go to https://www.tmtambayan.ph/simreg.html.
GOMO
For GOMO, the following advisory was posted on their mobile app last 23 December 2022:
Now, I’m wondering how one can register his/her PLDT Landline Plus SIM card.
SIM Card Registration Law & the Privacy of the Filipino People
As someone who advocates privacy, openness, and inclusivity online, I do not have a problem with the passing of the SIM Card Registration Law. My major concern is more on how the law will ensure that the privacy and rights of Filipinos are upheld once this is implemented fully.
For one, I am not sure if the telcos in the Philippines are capable of determining the legitimacy of identification documents/cards that SIM Card registrants will submit to them as part of the law’s implementation.
The SIM card registration process in the Philippines requires mobile phone users to provide certain personal information, such as their name, address, and identification documents, to their mobile phone service providers. This information will be stored in a database maintained by the service provider.
In terms of cybersecurity and digital privacy, Kaspersky is advising all who will register their SIM Cards to:
- Visit and use links of official websites/platforms only.
Mobile operators in the country have announced that they will launch their online SIM registration platforms. Make sure that you visit the official websites of these companies to register on their official platform. - Check each link and email carefully.
When you receive an email, don’t rush to reply or follow its instructions. The first thing you should do is look for telltale signs of phishing such as mistakes, typos, and strange characters in the text as well as inconsistent sender address. Check the links in the email if it contains them or the website they lead to. You can check a link by hovering your cursor over it and reading the address carefully. Cybercriminals bet on victims who do not pay enough attention to detect slight changes made to the names of well-known companies or brands like sumsung.com or qoogle.com. - Use reliable security protection on your device.
It’s hard to be on the constant lookout for red flags and to check every single address, link, and so on. But it’s a task you can automate, and you can rely on security solutions to protect you against phishing.
“Privacy risks are another major concern. For a cybercriminal, having a potential victim’s phone number significantly increases the opportunity of a successful attack, since most online services require entering a phone number along with other personal data. Doxing, cyberbullying, blackmailing and extortion are among the potential cyberthreats victims might face,” according to Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
Personal Note
Since the first day of the implementation of the SIM Card Registration Law falls on the first working day after a long Christmas weekend holiday, I suggest that you wait perhaps until the middle of January 2023 to comply (giving way for the telcos to iron out bugs that their registration systems may have).
Remember, based on this new law, we are given 180 days (that’s until 26 April 2023 — 180 days from 28 October 2022 when the law was enacted, or almost half a year from now) to register before our telcos start deactivating our SIM Cards. If that happens, reactivating your SIM Card will be a breeze (hopefully) after you comply with the registration requirements.
Good luck to us all in the Philippines.