Mobile phone users in the Philippines must now register their SIM cards with their telecom provider after the country’s President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., signed into law the SIM Card Registration Act.
According to the official dispatch, the new measure aims to promote accountability in the use of SIM cards and help law enforcement to track those involved in crimes committed through mobile phones.
Under the new law, all public telecommunications entities or direct sellers must require the SIM card user to show a valid identification document with a photo.
The registered SIM card details will not be disclosed unless the user authorizes access to his information.
Law enforcement agencies which conduct probes on purported crimes committed through phones may also submit a written request to telco firms to disclose the details of the SIM card holder.
The two telecom giants in the Philippines, Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Group, had previously expressed support for this measure, saying they would be helping the government in preventing crimes committed electronically.
The law is the consolidation of the bills approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate.