SIM registration with fake ID accepted
SIM REGISTRATION – A fake ID with a monkey’s face passed the SIM card registration process.
On the night before the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing on Tuesday, NBI Cybercrime Division Chief Attorney Jeremy Lotoc said they attempted to register SIM cards with various telcos. He stated that registrations with animal faces were even accepted.
“We entered the face of an animal in different names natanggap pa rin,” Lotoc revealed. He mentioned that this demonstrates that anyone can register a SIM card using fake identities. “Sa law enforcement side, medyo nahihirapan din kaming mag-track kasi ‘pag tiningnan namin kung sino ‘yung pangalan o owner ng SIM na ‘yun, iba ho ‘yung lumalabas,” he added.
Meanwhile, the SIM Registration Act, officially Republic Act No. 11934, mandates the registration of SIM cards in the Philippines before activation. This law applies to both prepaid and postpaid mobile users and aims to combat cybercrime and address issues like trolling, hate speech, and online disinformation.
The legislative history of the act includes its initial veto by President Duterte due to concerns about state intrusion and surveillance related to social media accounts. However, it eventually passed in Congress and was signed into law by President Bongbong Marcos.
Implementation involved an online registration process, and there were glitches initially. The deadline for registration was extended due to low registration rates, with a subsequent deactivation of unregistered SIM cards.
Human rights groups and media organizations raised concerns about the law’s potential violation of free speech, privacy, and due process. Some petitioned the Supreme Court for a restraining order and called for its repeal, citing concerns about privacy, free expression, and authoritarianism when combined with other laws.
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