DICT considers limiting number of SIMs individuals can register

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is considering limiting the number of SIMs (subscriber identity module) individuals can register after authorities confiscated around P1 billion from e-wallets allegedly linked to syndicates. 

According to DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, the money was confiscated through raids after the implementation of the SIM Registration Act which mandates all users to register with their respective public telecommunications entity (PTE).

“So far, based on our coordination with law enforcement agencies, basically the value of the e-wallets and digital currencies, the cryptocurrencies that have been confiscated by law enforcement agencies could amount to a billion or more, and this is only based on the raids and the arrests that we’ve done for the past month and a half,” he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

Uy said SIMs found during the raids were placed in phones and found to have various amounts deposited in e-wallets allegedly stolen through various scams.

The SIMs used were said to be either pre-registered sims bought from locals or those registered fraudulently.

The agency is now looking at determining the sources of the funds, which Uy said it will still have to validate and revalidate.

The DICT is now considering making amendments to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the SIM Registration Act to have more teeth, such as limiting the number of SIMs that an individual can register as done in other countries.

“If we follow what other countries have implemented in their SIM card registration, other countries have implemented a limitation in the number of SIM cards that can be registered, so that’s one option that we’re looking at,” Uy

“Some countries limit [it] to five. Tatlo lang naman ang telcos natin eh (we only have three telcos), so maybe we can limit it to three so you can have one number each, or to four in case you want some of them one telco pero dalawa ‘yung (but have two) product nila,” he added.

The DICT official said there have so far been over 118 million SIMs registered, versus the country’s estimated population of 115 million.

Aside from mobile numbers, Uy said the government is coordinating with other digital ministers across the globe and with developers, as scammers have also moved to other mobile applications that do not need SIMs such as Telegram, Messenger, and Viber.

“Medyo ‘yan po ang (That is quite the) challenge at pinaguusapan namin (and we are talking about this) with some of the digital ministers all over the world how we are going to address this,” he said.

Just last week, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said it received more than 45,000 complaints regarding text scams, despite the passage of the SIM Registration Act.

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) last month warned the public that those involved in selling SIMs could face fines of up to P300,000 or imprisonment of up to six years, or both. —VAL, GMA Integrated News