The law protecting personal data in the Philippines was in the works, and it was ultimately passed. A wave of data security breaches in the nation, according to the administration, makes the new data protection measures essential.
Although it's fair to be concerned about internet theft, a progressive group called Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) warned on Monday that the new law requiring SIM card registration could be abused to invade people's privacy.
"While abandoning privacy is a more difficult reaction, we are aware of the latest worries around internet scams. Any policy that would jeopardize the right to privacy should be viewed as dangerous," according to Renato Reyes, secretary-general of the Bayan organization. The Philippine government has a long history of violating human rights.
"The SIM register could develop into a huge network of surveillance used against people. Given that the Philippine government has experienced data leaks in the past, the data that is collected might not be kept secure," Renato Reyes stated.
President Ferdinand Marcos gave the SIM card law his first official signature since assuming office on June 30 early that day. It demonstrated the purpose of the Marcos administration to safeguard Filipinos from cybercrime, as per House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Users of mobile phones are required by Republic Act No. 11934 to register their SIM cards with telecommunications companies. They would then be required to present legitimate identification cards as well as a fully completed registration form.
Those who were unable to produce a legitimate ID might instead show a clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation, a police clearance, or a birth certificate that had been approved by the Philippine Statistics Authority and had an ID photo on it.
Since authorities will be able to determine the owner of a SIM card used for the commission of a crime, even terrorism, supporters of the proposal believe it may be a tool against internet scams. Legislators recently found during hearings on text scams and spam messages sent to cell phones that insufficient regulations made it difficult for law enforcement to pursue cybercriminals.
