When mobile phones become IDs: a critical analysis of proposed bills on sim card registration in the Philippines.

Abstract

The Philippines is known to be a developing country with more than 100 million people. The vast majority of the total population or about 90% of the people are prepaid or “pay-as-you-go” SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card users. The Filipinos are more attracted to prepaid SIM cards because of their convenience and low cost compared to postpaid lines. However, some unscrupulous individuals utilize prepaid SIM cards to perpetrate illegal activities (e.g. Text scams, kidnap for ransom, terrorism, etc.). For this reason, the legislators proposed mandatory prepaid SIM card registration. This study will examine the intent behind the SIM card registration bills filed in the Congress, their implications toward the telecommunication companies, their aim to protect the consumers and to enhance national security. The researcher will gauge the feasibility of the implementation of SIM card registration if the bills pass into law, and the opinion and support it will get from the Filipinos. Results of the study show that the respondents would support mandatory SIM card registration regardless of whether (a) they are victim of text scams; (b) knew someone who is a victim of text scam; and (c) knowledgeable about SIM card registration bills. On the contrary, there is a direct correlation between the belief of the respondents that SIM card registration will deter crimes (such as text scams and IED bombing) and their choice to support its implementation in the future. Lastly, the data showed that respondents opinion about (a) prioritization of the bill; (b) capability of government to implement the law; and (c) capability of TELECOMs to register all existing and new prepaid users affect their opinion on whether they will support the bill once passed into law.