SIM Card Registration Act

University of St. La Salle Bacolod City 

Juris Doctor Program – 1st Year, 1st Semester, S.Y. 2022-2023 

          Legal Research Output 

      Sim Card Registration Act

       Submitted by:

     Doza, Tereso D.

       Submitted to:

   Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue 

     February 11, 2023

Abstract

In this day and age, information and communications technology play a vital role in nation-building.  Because of these innovations, millions of Filipinos today thrive through enhanced mobile connectivity.

As beneficial as modern technology is, its illegal or malicious use endangers people’s lives, damages property, poses hazards to public order, and even threatens the security of nations.  For the longest time, subscriber identity module cards, commonly known as SIM cards have been readily available and can be practically purchased at any local shop or sari-sari store.  It can be argued that the regulation of the sale and disposition of SIM cards was not seen as a priority by the Philippines in the past decades due to the importance of providing viable means of communication for Filipinos both domestically and internationally.

Based on the 2011 World Bank report entitled “Information and Communications for Development: Maximizing Mobile”, there were 101 mobile cellular subscriptions for every 100 people in the Philippines.  The staggering figure did not reflect the number of end users since there could be multiple subscriptions.  The report further cites that 96 percent of the total mobile cellular subscriptions in the Philippines were prepaid.

Many Filipinos fall victim to phishing scams, for instance, through short messaging services.  The proliferation of personalized spam texts or messages harassing individuals through their mobile phones has become a substantial issue that Congress had to address to curb the improper and illicit use of SIM cards.

The SIM Card Registration Act aims for end users to be accountable for their usage of mobile communications by mandating SIM card registration.  The act emphasizes accountability in text messaging, encouraging people to use communication services responsibly.  The act, more importantly, aims to minimize the opportunity for certain parties to exploit the anonymity provided by prepaid SIMs for malicious and criminal intent.

I. Introduction 

In today’s world, technology is an essential foundation for progress. Due to continuous technological advancements, numerous countries have progressed significantly and evolved into first-world countries. Technology has been an important element in people’s lives because it gives improvement and convenience to their life. It has also provided greater freedom and a variety of ways to live their preferred lifestyle. The need for technology in every aspect of our lives is of the utmost importance as we live in the present generation that is filled with information brought by different people and societies. For instance, technology has created the world’s strongest communication bridge, allowing individuals to speak with one another bound by no geographical limits as well as the time limit to contact persons in our lives. It is advantageous that technology today can resist no matter where people are or what certain topic to learn or how long to converse with a person from a different continent. Technology has caused the birth of many lifestyles which have changed the trajectory of people’s lives as a result of the continuous creation of new types and processes brought about by this phenomenon. The ceaseless development of technology has enabled a wealthy existence for people all over the world when it comes to using technological gadgets. As we are all living in the century of technology, we now have the option to study online or at home without visiting the library by downloading eBooks from the internet, watching video lectures on student portals, or even accessing a wide array of lectures from different universities all around the world. It is obvious that we cannot envisage our lives without technology nowadays.

In connection to technology being an essential foundation for progress, the other most crucial factor that humans need to develop in order to have personal progress, as well as progress in relationships, is communication. It is the notion to inform the people around us what we want to convey, our feelings, our wants, our needs, likes, dislikes, and others. Communication skills can be quite a barrier for some people although it’s as easy as not expecting someone to know what you’re thinking until one would tell them so. Being open and talking to others is fundamental to any relationship, whether it’s with one’s family, friends, or special persons in their life. It is also essential for maintaining a positive relationship with oneself. Communication allows family members and friends to share what happened throughout their day and express their emotions of joy, pain, and tales. It is the most critical aspect of maintaining and developing a deeper connection with the people closest to one’s life. Without communication, one wouldn’t know anything about the family members. An individual will feel uneasy with their family if they have not shared proper communication skills with them. Neglecting communication leads to awkward interactions with close family members and discontinuation of the shared feelings with moments together.

Being the case of technology and communication combined to provide an improved life for everyone, globalization is the general term and phenomenon that has provided countless changes that gave rise to the general convenience of our lives and made the world a better and simpler place. One can find it easier to make friends if one has a globalized community as well as decent communication skills. Good communication skills are also a factor that has enabled people of today to determine what type of discourse will assist them to begin a conversation with someone new. In the instance that one will chat with someone new, one discovers something new about them along with listening to understand the conversation is a vital element of communication. Globalization has presented limitless options for jobs and enterprises by making improved social contact, allowing countless opportunities to meet new people from around the world, creating channels for learning about and staying updated on current events, enabling us to take a stand on social concerns, and allowing us to enjoy traveling without significant restrictions. Although there are numerous advantages of globalization, there will always be disadvantages caused by this worldwide innovation. In relation to the main topic, globalization was a cause for its creation.

Due to the continuous impact of globalization, a disadvantage of this remarkable phenomenon is the threat to privacy and safety among personal data and various personal information, especially among Filipinos. It has become rampant in Philippine society that one’s identity is being exploited through phishing and becoming a victim of scams through spam messages and even calls from unidentified mobile numbers. It is unfortunate that countless Filipinos have fallen victim to phishing scams through text messages. At present, it has become a substantial issue wherein Congress had to address to curb the improper and illicit use of SIM cards with the proliferation of personalized spam texts and calls. The creation of the mandatory SIM Card Registration Act has become a solution for this past and still an emerging personal, social, and technological problem. 

According to Purnell (2022), the SIM Card Registration Act, also known as Republic Act 11934, would oblige all SIM card users to register their personal information with telecommunication firms, or telcos, with the information being made accessible upon request by a court or other law enforcement agency. Following the recent rise of spam text messages, which led to fraud and the compromise of some users’ personal accounts, lawmakers have been pressing for action. Former President Rodrigo Duterte rejected an earlier version of the measure in April 2022, citing worries about the damage to privacy and free speech rights that mandating the registration of social media accounts would pose.

Since privacy and safety have been important factors in the initial writing of the mandatory SIM Card Registration Act, various social networking sites and social media platforms are at risk of identity theft and phishing scams as well. Even with the simple methods to speak online, meet new people, and stay in touch, the possibility to get one’s personal data has been breached with the convenience of technology. Moreover, there are certain hazards to meeting someone online if you really don’t know them beforehand as well as not meeting them personally. It is apparent that the present situation of the world has become even more connected due to globalization such that when communicating, and exchanging ideas and information with individuals we don’t know, we must not trust them that easily and bear in mind that once a message, photo, or video is posted, there is no control over where it goes. Good privacy settings go beyond sharing one’s password, making your profile private, and refusing friend requests from unknown individuals. It is best to comply with the recently signed law that ensures the safety of one’s identity and be held accountable for responsible mobile use on a daily basis.

II. Objectives of the Study

The study includes three main objectives the researcher aims to give significance to:

1. To understand why the SIM Card Registration Law was created;

2. To enumerate the key points and benefits of this law:

3. To identify the provisions and penalties of this law; and

4. To appreciate the importance of implementing this law

III. Scope and Limitations

The study mainly focuses on understanding the key points of the creation of the “SIM Card Registration Act” along with identifying the relevant provisions and penalties of the law that can allow the users to be knowledgeable and aware. The researcher will only be selecting a limited number of laws with attention to the execution of the SIM Card Registration Act as well as the development that it has brought for its main beneficiaries. It will aid in his further discussion of the subtopics. Adding to this, the study covers the importance of the implementation of the recently signed law that focuses attention on the vital role of mobile connectivity and appropriate identification for nation-building and national security. The study will not go beyond the disadvantages behind the passing of the law with regard to the accountability of using communication services responsibly for Filipinos.

IV. Methodology

The researcher will use a qualitative research design by collecting data with regard to the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act along with relevant provisions of the law, and an analysis of the gathered data or information will be conducted. The primary source will come from the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines where the relevant provisions of the law are published. To provide convincing details about the recently passed law, the researcher will be gathering additional information from selected credible sources which are sourced from Google. The other references pertaining to polls and statistics are properly cited from carefully chosen credible sources to successfully achieve the main objectives of the study and effectively persuade the readers with the provided recommendation about the topic.

V. Discussion 

The discussion will focus on two main points, the importance of infrastructure and the relevant provisions of the law related to the SIM Card Registration Act. First, it would highlight the review of related literature that discusses the importance and key points of having this law implemented in pertinence to the beneficiaries and the development and agenda for a country. The body of the discussion will contain relevant opinions from the time of its first reading up until the opinion of individuals that are directly impacted by this Act. Under the relevant provisions, the Official Gazette will be used to supplement the discussion. 

Understanding why the SIM Card Registration Law was created

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. passed legislation requiring all SIM cards to be registered, which is intended to reduce mobile phone fraud and other crimes but has resulted in complaints about privacy issues. The recently signed legislation requires telecommunication companies to keep a record of SIM card customers and to provide the government with a list of approved vendors. In purchasing a new SIM card, a valid identity card must now be presented; however, existing SIM Cards must now be registered.

The researcher came across local discussions by Acosta (2022), entitled “SIM registration mandated by law”, which gives an explanation of the SIM Card Registration Law legislation that makes no distinction between the frequency of use of the SIM, all SIM owners, including oneself, are required to register the same, even if an individual only use their mobile phones infrequently. This law emphasizes that any subscriber who fails or refuses to register his or her SIM card will be unable to use it. Most importantly, the fundamental goal of registration is to prevent harmful and/or fraudulent use.

The key points and drawbacks of SIM Card Registration Law

An article written by  Purnell (2022), entitled “Data leakage and other drawbacks” put emphasis on RA 11934 which may violate users’ privacy and may be ineffective in stopping fraud and crimes via text messages or phones that were based on findings from IT professionals and ICT rights campaigners. According to Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos, a cybersecurity policy expert, registering SIM cards “has the potential to put the security, privacy, and welfare of residents at risk,” citing examples from other developing nations and the European Union, providing more hazards than advantages. She was having a single database for users’ information would make them an appealing target for cyber attackers, and complete security cannot be assured. Ivy Grace Villasoto, former officer-in-charge of the National Privacy Commission’s Privacy Policy Office, elaborated on this, stating that mandatory registration may result in an invasion of a person’s privacy rights, specifically “a heightened risk of the occurrence of personal data breaches and unauthorized processing of personal data.” Villasoto further mentioned that certain users may be digitally, socially, or financially excluded if they are unable to register their SIM cards owing to a lack of legal IDs or are unable to bear the additional registration expenses. Criminals may also be able to utilize stolen SIM cards or IDs, emails, and mobile phone numbers from many countries to perpetrate cyberattacks, identity theft, online fraud, and data breaches, not to mention that registered users may be monitored. Kaycee Valmonte, Xave Gregorio, Ramon Royandoyan, and Angelica Yang contributed reporting.

An article written by Moorehead (2022) “In the Philippines, why does the SIM Card Registration Act pose a threat?”, dating this article written last October, states some key components of the bill wherein selling SIM cards, telecommunications firms, and direct dealers are required by law to request a valid identity document as a first key component. The second key component is that those who already have a SIM card will have to register with their corresponding telecommunication companies within a certain time frame. SIM cards would be deactivated if this was not done. The third component of this law requires carriers to provide the entire name and address of SIM card owners in response to a subpoena or court order. The fourth component highlighted in this law is that law enforcement organizations conducting phone-related investigations may also seek telecoms for information on the SIM card’s owner. The fifth component of the bill states that telecommunication companies must keep a SIM card record of their subscribers. Companies must provide the National Telecommunications Commission with a confirmed list of their authorized dealers and agents across the country, with quarterly updates. Lastly, false or counterfeit information, bogus identities, and the use of fraudulent papers or identifications to register a SIM Card will result in corresponding sanctions.

NPC gathered Telcos to address data privacy concerns on the SIM Registration Act

According to Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), these are merely optional and are only supplied to ascertain whether the SIM card is being used by a natural person or a legal business. Similar to Globe Telecom (Globe), Dito Telecommunity (Dito) SIM Card Registration, which can be accessed through its application, did not include additional tick-boxes asking for consent on marketing, profiling, or sharing with third-party partners. Globe Telecom (Globe) stated that the option for their clients to allow the receipt of commercial and promotional alerts, as well as third-party sharing, among others, was only optional.

Philippines’s Mandatory SIM Card Registration Threatens Privacy and Free Speech

According to Palatino (2022), the law also requires social media firms to register the true names and phone numbers of those who create accounts on their sites. Legislators stated that the Act will “deter the spread of SIM card, internet, or electronic communication-aided crimes.” The police documented 6,110 cybercrime offenses in 2020 alone, including online scams, computer-related identity theft, and phishing. Private telecommunications firms have tracked a greater number of cybercrimes. In 2021, Globe Telecom, for example, banned 1.15 billion scam and spam communications, 7,000 mobile numbers associated with fraudsters, and 2,000 unapproved social media profiles and phishing sites.

Senator Win Gatchalian, one of the Act’s writers, believes it would enhance company trust by providing authorities with an extra-legal instrument to combat internet fraudsters who utilize unregistered cell phones. “This is a really opportune development given the enormous expansion in e-commerce and digital services, and it will help foster consumer and business trust since there will now be a layer of protection against fraudsters,” he added.

Philippines’ SIM Card Registration Act undermines privacy and online expression

The Philippines has now added its name to a long list of nations that adopted this particular law and other similar laws. Although the declared purpose of these policies is almost always to deter crime, evidence from other nations suggests otherwise. SIM card registration is “expensive, intrusive,” and it hasn’t worked to reduce crime, said Privacy International. In addition, proponents of digital rights and cybersecurity specialists draw attention to the gaps that allow criminals to get around limitations and promote the development of black markets. Despite its good intentions, the law poses significant threats to online safety, privacy, and free speech rather than providing effective remedies for security problems.

Appreciating the Importance of Implementing the SIM Registration Act

The researcher came across both local and international discussions which point out the benefits of registering a SIM Card. According to Purnell (2022), Telcos and direct SIM card dealers will only sell cards to individuals who produce a valid picture ID, confirming that the sold SIM card belongs to the individual. After signing the SIM Card Registration Act into law, Marcos Jr. stated that any registered information “shall be treated as absolutely confidential unless access to this information has been granted with the written consent of the subscriber.” According to a copy of the Senate bill on third reading, SIM card registration for minors will bear the names of a consenting parent or guardian. Telecommunications companies will be forced to produce a verified list of their dealers across the country, and the National Telecommunications Commission will compel enterprises to submit an updated list quarterly.

An international discussion presented that in 2018, the Founders for Media Alternatives Briefing Paper discusses the international law implementation of SIM card registration, such that the Nigerian system was founded on the notion that unrestricted mobile phone use facilitated the commission of crimes such as robberies, kidnappings, and online banking fraud. To counter the unique crime of device theft, Ecuador enacted the required IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) and SIM registration. Proponents also point to the possibility of expanding public access to mobile-based government services. One researcher in Egypt claimed to show greater public involvement in elections after the country’s SIM card registration program enabled a prototype mobile voting system.

VI. Findings 

In order to deeply understand the significance of creating along with implementing the SIM Card Registration Act aligned with the stated objectives, the updated news will serve as the measure of the effectiveness of the law being passed. A news article was written by Hersey (2023),  with the title “Philippines: almost 15M SIM cards registered in first few days, calls to link to PhilID”, according to the Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) mobile phone users for the first nine days of registration amounted to more than 14 million. These SIM cards were linked to users’ IDs in the campaign’s early days. Despite a technically difficult start of registration on December 27, two million people registered in the first two days, according to The Inquirer. The first two weeks are regarded as a trial period. As of 5 January, the NTC site has 14.86 million registrations, accounting for 8.79 percent of the total 169 million mobile subscribers. So far, Globe has 7.27 percent (6.4 of 88 million), Dito has 9.64 percent (1.3 of 13.1 million), and Smart has 10.6 percent of the mobile network carriers (7.2 of 68 million). Additionally, more updated news about the statistics of the registered SIM Cards dated February 8, 2023, states “as of this writing, barely about 28 million of the 169 million prepaid SIM card customers had enrolled. First and foremost, SIM cards used in previous frauds are not expected to be registered” (Mathay, 2023). The other news would be during the last meeting of President Bongbong Marcos, last January 12, 2023, wherein he seeks an update on the implementation of the SIM registration law. The other main agenda item was an update on the SIM Card Registration Act’s digital infrastructure work plan. The discussion focused on “future plans for upgrading the country’s digital infrastructure,” according to the RTVM. The PSAC members presented the digital infrastructure plan, and Marcos discussed it with officials from the National Economic Development Authority, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Anti-Red Tape Authority. One of Marcos’ top aims is to have a nationwide connection (Carlos, 2023).

VII. Conclusions

Through technological advancements, mobile phones are now an essential thing that many people own, especially Filipinos. At present, mobile phones are regarded as a need at home, work, and school or even used for almost everything we want to do. It primarily serves the objectives of communication, information, and entertainment. The Philippines is known as the world’s texting capital. Mobile phone use necessitates the use of sim cards for calling and texting, as well as data or internet connectivity. In the midst of the country’s widespread usage of mobile phones, there are individuals who abuse them by duping others through money-laundering schemes. This is one of the reasons why Congress is pushing for obligatory sim card registration.

As the opening statement for this legal research emphasizes that by requiring SIM card registration, the SIM Card Registration Act seeks to hold end users accountable for their mobile communications usage. The statute promotes text message accountability, urging users to utilize communication services appropriately. More crucially, the legislation seeks to reduce the ability of certain parties to use the anonymity given by prepaid SIM cards for malevolent and illegal purposes. It can be claimed that the Philippines did not view the regulation of the sale and/or disposal of SIM cards as a priority in previous decades due to the necessity of providing an accessible means of communication for Filipinos both domestically and internationally.

According to NPC Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro, in these circumstances, the need to know-your-customer or know-your-caller becomes critical not only to protect the public from ICT-enabled scams and frauds but also to build consumer and business confidence to participate productively in digital economy. Moving forward with the key points and benefits of this law which has provided the Filipinos aid in partnership with the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement authorities in restricting the rising electronic communication-aided criminal activities in the Philippines such as mobile phishing, spam text messages, online scams, bank frauds, and identity theft,” Abalos said. He further explained that the implementation of the law will not only prompt accountability from all sides — the mobile users, the telcos, the government, and authorities — but will also help the Philippine National Police to quickly locate offenders of crimes committed in anonymity through the use of electronic devices.

The detailed provisions and penalties of this law are provided below wherein as stated in the IRR, subscribers are given 180 days from the effective date of the law to register their SIM cards under the IRR. The registration may be extended for a maximum of 120 days. The second requirement is that all SIMs, including embedded SIMs (eSIMS) and SIMs, designed for data-only usage or used in fixed wireless broadband modems, must be registered. The next requirement is emphasizing on the failure to register an existing SIM card within the time frame specified will result in the SIM being deactivated automatically. The deactivated SIM card may only be revived after registration, and only if done within five days of the automated deactivation. The fourth requirement necessitates that public telecommunications companies have to set up secure online SIM registration systems. The next subtopic delineates the penalties which include “Any information and data obtained in the registration process described under the Act shall be treated as absolutely confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person,”. According to the IRR, people who offer false or fictitious information or use fictitious names or fraudulent identity papers to register a SIM face up to two years in jail or a fine of up to P300,000, or both. Additionally, anyone who sells or transfers a registered SIM without complying with the mandatory registration would face a penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months to six years, a fine of P100,000 to P300,000, or both. Another basis for a penalty would be: anyone who communicates false or correct information regarding the source of a phone call or text message with the goal to deceive, injure, or get something of value can face up to six years in jail or a P200,000 fine, or both. Lastly, any telecommunications business, reseller, or entity that sells stolen SIM cards faces up to two years in jail or a P300,000 fine, or both. 

The provisions and penalties discussed above of the recently signed act and as a whole, the SIM Card Registration Act brought certain advantages which are beneficial to the stakeholders and not only the government which has been proven as primarily illusory. Meanwhile, the list of connected issues is hard to ignore due to the fact that the entire Philippine nation’s safety is on the line. It is crucial to remember this in light of the present administration’s status over their citizens in which a person’s identity appears to determine with harsh finality whether he or she deserves to live or is better off dead in the eyes of those in power. This implies that even at present time, Filipinos must be vigilant in all their actions aimed at narrowing individual space for privacy and other relevant rights and freedoms.

VIII. Recommendations 

The researcher recognizes the policymakers that initiated the creation of this act which prevents text scams and further unfortunate events using mobile numbers as well as technology. The policymakers for both national and local levels have executed their roles in creating a law that gives prominence to accountability for personal mobile communications usage as well as keeping one’s personal identity online and being safe from scammers in the Philippines. However, there is still room for improvement and development for this law to be carried out in the safest manner for SIM card users and the Philippine nation as a whole that uses mobile phones on a daily basis which needs to be given significance by policymakers.

At the national level, the researcher recommends that more efforts should be made to ensure that the allocated budget for this recently implemented law is to be executed meticulously as well as continuously develop the law with proper sections as to its provisions of users being able to efficiently understand the importance of the registration process along with the corresponding sanctions to an unregistered and/or expired SIM Card and to properly provide the Philippine nation with full security with their personal information and not experience personalized spam texts, harassment messages, or spam calls.

At the local level, specifically in the City of Bacolod, local legislators should strictly implement this law such that the citizens of Bacolod can have lessened to none experiences with being a victim of phishing scams through short messaging services and even through calls. Personalized spam texts or messages harassing individuals via their mobile phones should be monitored rigorously even at a local level.

For future researchers, the researcher recommends that they explore other segments in the recently signed law that thoroughly handles the essence of creating such SIM Card Registration Act which is privacy and safety from continuous scams and phishing. Due to factors such as time constraints, the research only contains provisions and penalties that this act covers which mostly discusses the effective date of the law along with the secure online registration system provided by the telecommunications system and falsification of personal identity and illegal obtaining of other people’s personal data or information and can face jail years as well as pay monetary compensation, respectively.

IX. Bibliography 

Beltran, M. (2022, October 19). Philippine SIM card registration law aims to end text scams. Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/Philippine-SIM-card-registration-law-aims-to-end-text-scams

Calonzo, A. (2022, October 10). Philippines’ Marcos Signs Law Requiring SIM Card Registration. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/tosv2.html?vid=&uuid=e1134593-a851-11ed-a1f3-565a584c4859&url=L25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZXMvMjAyMi0xMC0xMC9waGlsaXBwaW5lcy1tYXJjb3Mtc2lnbnMtbGF3LXJlcXVpcmluZy1zaW0tY2FyZC1yZWdpc3RyYXRpb24=

Carlos, R. A. (2023, January 12). PBBM seeks update on implementation of SIM registration law. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1192640

Foundation for Media Alternatives. (2018). Mandatory SIM Card Registration. https://www.fma.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Briefing-Paper-SIM-Card-Registration-FINAL-1.pdf

Ghaz, S. (2022, October 11). Benefits of SIM Card Registration Act? Here’s What It Can Do. . . Philippine News. https://philnews.ph/2022/10/11/benefits-of-sim-card-registration-act-heres-what-it-can-do/

Hersey, F. (2023, January 6). Philippines: almost 15M SIM cards registered in first few days, calls to link to PhilID. Biometric Update |. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202301/philippines-almost-15m-sim-cards-registered-in-first-few-days-calls-to-link-to-philid

Measuring up the SIM Card Registration Act. (2023, February 7). Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2023/02/08/measuring-up-the-sim-card-registration-act/

Moorehead, M. (2022, October 31). In the Philippines, why does the SIM Card Registration Act pose a threat? Workers World. https://www.workers.org/2022/10/67443/

National Privacy Commissions. (2022, December 30). NPC gathered Telcos to address data privacy concerns on the SIM Registration Act. https://www.privacy.gov.ph/2022/12/npc-gathered-telcos-to-address-data-privacy-concerns-on-the-sim-card-registration-act/

Philippines: SIM Card Registration Act undermines online freedoms. (2022, March 9). ARTICLE 19. https://www.article19.org/resources/philippines-sim-card-registration-act-undermines-online-freedoms/

Philippines’ SIM Card Registration Act undermines privacy, online expression. (2022, March 16). Global Voices. https://globalvoices.org/2022/03/16/philippiness-sim-card-registration-act-undermines-prprivacy-online-expression/

Purnell, K. (2022, October 11). SIM Card Registration Act: Pros and cons. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/gadgets/2022/10/11/2215885/sim-card-registration-act-pros-and-cons

X. About the Researcher

I am Tereso D. Doza, Jr., a first year law student of the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod.  I am a licensed Electronics and Communications engineer and the reason why I have conducted this research is because this particular subject matter hits close to home.  As a network engineer, network security and data protection is one of the most-valued pieces of currency in the world.  It is my hope that this legal research would be able to answer some of the questions other researchers will have in the future.  This legal research also hopes to educate people on the importance of protecting one’s privacy and being vigilant in all modes of communication especially in the digital world.