An alliance of digital experts and advocates told the government that a mere technical remedy on the registration of SIM cards, like reviewing and revising its law, would not address the prevalence of cybercrimes.
“Comprehensive data privacy protection and educating the public against digital scams which are supposed to be the primary responsibilities of the gov’t are more imperative than reviewing and revising the SIM Registration Act,” the Junk Sim Registration Network said on its Facebook page.
It said that while fixing the loopholes of the law could be part of the solution, “addressing cybercrimes as a complex and high-tech field needs more than just asking the subscribers to enroll their SIM cards.
The Junk Sim Registration Network said SIM registration creates databases that could be targets for cyberattacks, instead of its purpose against text-related crimes.
“We need comprehensive solutions that include strong data privacy protections and public education,” JSRN said in a statement.
This developed as the Department of Information and Communications Technology called for a review of the SIM Registration Act, noting that it needs an update as online scammers have reportedly found new ways to execute their criminal activities.
According to the Philippine National Police, the number of cybercrimes increased by 21.8 percent in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
DICT spokesperson and assistant secretary Renato Paraiso said scammers were using internet-based messaging platforms for crimes like Viber and Messenger, among others, and are also using foreign issued SIM cards.
This resulted in both the House and the Senate to schedule their own set of hearings to review the law.
“The JSRN argues that the gov’t should abandon the SIM registration and focus, instead, on other options that would emphasize public awareness, robust data privacy, and information security measures,” said the network.
Senate President Chiz Escudero and Senator Grace Poe also questioned the National Telecommunications Commission for its failure to curb text scams and tasked the agency to intensify its fight against scams instead of making excuses.
