Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said telecommunications companies should have the tools—such as artificial intelligence (AI)–to verify the picture used in the registration of a SIM (subscriber identity module) card.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) earlier said the online registration of SIM cards should be temporarily stopped as the system accepts fake identities.
However, Gatchalian said instead of suspending SIM registration, telcos and regulators should use verification tools.
Gatchaliian said the picture of “a monkey or animal should be disqualified” in the SIM registration.
He also said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) can issue a circular or process to verify the person’s identity. Gatchalian said at present, a verification process does not exist, and if a person registers, the assumption is “you are a real person and you have an ID.”
Gatchalian also proposed using a national ID for the SIM registration, instead of the more than 10 that are currently accepted.
“I must admit that it is just easy to get a barangay ID, postal ID, indigent ID, among others. I know a person who can get a PWD ID even without a disability. It’s easy to get these IDs so we should just limit them to this most important ID—the national ID–which is difficult to copy,” he said.
He pointed out that a majority of those registering have been giving their true names, addresses, and other information Sen. Grace Poe meanwhile said authorities should start arresting and penalizing text scammers.
She said the SIM Registration law has provisions that can be used by concerned agencies, law enforcers and telcos.
“The orderly implementation of this law is the responsibility of authorities. If there’s a strong evidence against a violator, then authorities should make the arrest.
Poe is the the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11934 or SIM Registration Act.
She said that police have made recent raids on cybercrime hubs which led to the discovery of hundreds of pre-registered SIM cards.
Poe said she expects the inclusion of the live selfie as part of the verification process in SIM registration.
The National Telecommunications Commission and telcos are discussing ways to beef up the law’s implementing rules and regulations amid the continued proliferation of text scams.
She said proposals to impose a fee starting on the fourth SIM as a deterrent to its illegal use should also be discussed.