Mobile phone users in the Philippines must now register their SIM cards with their telecom provider after the country’s President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., signed into law the SIM Card Registration Act.
Under the new law, all public telecommunications entities or direct sellers must require the SIM card user to show a valid identification document with a photo.
The registered SIM card details will not be disclosed unless the user authorizes access to his information.
Law enforcement agencies that conduct probes on purported crimes committed through phones may also submit a written request to telco firms to disclose the details of the SIM card holder.
The two telecom giants in the Philippines, Globe Telecom and PLDT Group, had previously expressed support for this measure, saying they would be helping the government in preventing crimes committed electronically.
The law consolidates the bills approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate.