The mandatory SIM card registration law was signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. It promised us Filipinos another layer of security, providing us with accountability and law enforcement for tracking perpetrators of crimes committed through electronic devices. However, a closer look at this law will reveal some major flaws.

 There are at least 162 million SIM cards in circulation and only 62 million are registered, but there are millions more SIM cards being used by OFWs. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of tourists going into the country, bringing even more SIM cards into the Philippines. SIM cards are not just for mobile cell phones, but also for tablets, landlines, pay phones, and the like. Less than half of all SIM cards have been registered. We still haven’t found a way to properly register all of these SIM cards, making it impossible to fully implement.

The aforementioned law states that it will provide safety and protection from scam callers, but it will only violate our rights to privacy and create a new set of criminals. SIM cards are not limited to mobile phone services, but as well as online transactions. They have access to our personal information and contacts. This system is prone to abuse by those who have authorization and access to the proposed database. We have to prepare ourselves for a new set of crimes, theft of SIM cards, identity theft, and illegal re-selling of stolen SIM cards. Just to name a few. We cannot expect criminals to register SIM cards under their own names. Ironically, the solution for preventing online crimes ends up making new opportunities for them. Its not making it better for the one out of 10 people that get scammed.

SIM cards are small pieces of silicon and metals. They get lost, replaced and damaged. There should be remedies in case this happens should the records not be updated. More than this,  we may soon see a future without physical SIM cards. Phone manufacturers like GlobaleSIM, Nomad, and Airalo are now proposing a phaseout of physical SIM cards. Then the proposed system will be pointless and a waste of effort, time, and resources that should have gone to fight the actual crimes.

SIM card registration will prevent the use of some mobile services like mobile phone networks if the user does not have the required documentation such as government-issued IDs. People like the elderly, disabled, or those living in remote areas will have trouble finding proper registration facilities.

Even though SIM card registration is not a difficult task for the youth and those who have access to facilities, it only creates new problems for Filipinos along the way. Delaying the deadline for SIM registration when the number of users registered is insufficient will nullify its purpose as it gives more time for scammers to victimize Filipinos.