With the coming of technology, life became easier than it was before. People can communicate, explore, and do things with ease and comfort of the home.
But it was not spared from spam messages and online fraud which affected many during the past months. This prompted the government to take action to prevent further incidents after many complaints were raised by people.
The SIM Card Registration Act was lobbied in Congress during the Duterte administration, but its previous version was vetoed on concerns regarding freedom of expression.
President Bongbong Marcos signed it into law on October 10, 2022, which mandates users to register their SIM cards with telecommunications companies or telcos.
Within 180 days of implementation, existing SIM cards must be registered within the said period, giving their personal information and proof of identity while new users must register first to activate it.
Amid the intentions of the legislators in crafting the law, many are concerned as it encroaches on one’s right to privacy, which many believe that might not be an effective way to eliminate scams.
