The Case for SIM Card Registration

Off-topic, but I’m amazed that they figured out that the cellphone used in the bus bombing was a Nokia 5310.

That was a lot of phone bits to pick apart.

Also free advertising for Nokia. :D

This isn’t the solution, IMHO. Yes, it prevents but there’s no assurance at all. With over 70 million users, including the people belonging to the lower class, it wouldn’t really work. It’d just cost a lot of time and money for the company.

Instead of doing that, I suggest that mobile companies should just expand and improve their service especially Sun Cellular since they’re so behind already compared to the companies in the US. And there’s still so much to improve in broadband. I hope they’d put it in their 1st priority. And I hope they’d stop fooling and lying to their subscribers.

@Ram
so nice of you to compare companies here and in the US. coz last time I checked, we are still in the ‘third world countries’ category.

The issue here is whether it WILL HELP OR NOT. I think it will really help. We should do all things necessary and sim registration benefits many other facets of our economy/security etc etc.

Yes of course it is not a GUARANTEE (common sense?) but of course it will greatly help in solving many other crimes and preventing other unlawful acts.

The benefits should be studied well in the Congress. Again, if not now, when? If this will not help what will help? Not until we all really change we will still be stuck in this Third World Country MENTALITY.

I’m in favor of SIM Card registration. Aside from the safety issues, we can also trace those spammers sending us offers like loans, seminars, etc. The important thing is still safety. I would readily register a prepaid sim if it would be required.

Prepaid account registration will probably deter less less knowledgeable terrorists but explosives experts can find other ways to detonate a bomb. I can think of Bluetooth and WiFi, although obviously both need 10 or 100m proximity. Also, an adept expert may be able to hack a SIM card to give it a different number, although I’m not so sure that’ll make a diff.

I’m all for SIM card registration. Napakadali kasi bumili ng SIM dito at magpalit palit unlike other countries.

I think tama lang ung sim card registration, and as for using fake documents the companies may issue the list of documents needed para makabili ng sim card, and kailangan i-authenticate nila ito (para ma-sure na hindi fake documents pinepresent nila.)

@Rey, excellent point, one that was probably at the back of my mind when I wrote *my* post. To be fair, it’s not just in the PH that this happens. Look what happened after 9-11. Today, full-body scanners or extreme pat-downs. I had to take a fairly rare trip to Makati the day after the bombing, and was wondering if police would ask me to open up my backpack. I’d be torn between complying and asking for a warrant.

i agree with most of the folks’ comments here–the need and advantages of having prepaid sim card registration. its not the solution, but it will be part of a comprehensive solution on security (and bogus users as well).

now, on the national id–that too we need. its been quite a challenge keeping all separate documents/id numbers for Tax pin, SSS, passport, etc.

and just like what “tama eh” said, those who have “something to hide”, are the ones really not comfortable with this.

Installing CCTV cameras in strategic locations and inside each bus will be an easier and more cost-effective way of deterring terrorism than to requiring 90 million Filipinos to register their SIM cards.

why not both? install CCTV cameras inside buses and registration of sims

@astig
obvious naman po na pag inimplement ito eh hindi ka na makakabili ng prepaid sim sa suki mong tindahan.

For me, ok ang sim registration. Atleast di ba secured din yung sim card ng mga prepaid user. Maybe they could make the sim card registration voluntary…but then again, maraming hinde naman magregister kasi hassle and everything. Sa opinion ko kasi, most Filipinos are “tamad”. They want life easy as 1-2-3. Take for example sa MRT, lahat nasa pinto, kasi gusto nila makalabas ng madali, even if malayo pa sila. Or the footbridge, ayaw nila doon dumaan kas mataas daw or malayo. Daming rason.

CCTV sa mga raods eh ok din. In my opinion, it will help alot, in securing the people, traffics reduction, etc.

Problem lang daming nagdidisagree sa mga move na ganito dahil violation of privacy ek ek. Eh kung ganun lage mind set ng mga tao, wala talagang pararatingan ang bansang Pinas…they don’t want change, so be it. Live in this very “PEACEFUL” country.

@someone
atleast the police have a lead if mangyari man ito. Makikita kung sino yung last person ang nakaupo doon sa may sumabog na seat. Not like the current na totally no lead sila. And sa opinion ko, the police will make a fall guy ulit para lang mapalabas na may nahuli sila…masabi lang sa mga Pinoy na “You are all safe”.

sa personal kong experience sa sim registration which happened in dubai when i was working there. ok naman siya, you just need to present your passport copy with visa and a letter from your compony. prepaid yun sim ko. about sa authentication ng documents to present, natural lang naman na kailangan may pic ang valid id na gagamitin, kung kailangan 2 or 3 mas mainam, about sa retailing ng prepaid sims, di mo basta mabibili yan sa suking tindahan o sa bangketa o sa mga celfone shops, sa mga business center mismo ng telcos mo bibilin para sa kanila mo na din ipapasa documents for authentication and archiving. kapag naman nawala yun sim mo pwede mo ipadeactivate yun sim mo at magrequest ng panibago sa business center with the same mobile number, magkaiba namna kasi ang imei ng bawat sim but telcons can assign the same number to different sim basta deactivated na yun una mo sim, gaya lang yun ng sim upgrading, for activation of the prepaid sim, you have to wait atleast within 24 hours then pwede mo na gamitin. takot lang ang mga taong ayaw magparegister ng sim kasi may mga kasamaan at kalokohan silang ginagawa, privacy? too much privacy naman ang pinakakaingatan kung kaligtasan mo naman kapalit, wala naman mangyayari sayo kung ibibigay mo yun copy ng id mo for registration para ka lang naman bumili ng psp, celfone, and other things using your credit card na kailangan mo magpresnt ng id. tama na tayo sa makalumang pananaw. kaya napagiiwanan ang mga pinoy, makaluma at ayaw ng mga makabagong paraan na para sa ikakadali ng pamumuhay at sa kaligtasan na din naman nila.

I actually experienced this buying a sim in india. they have to check your passport and all that before you can get a sim. but i believe in order for this to push through they should settle a law first that would protect the privacy of the users as well. it would be great if upon passing the law to have people register their sim cards, the laws that the telcos should comply with and the guidelines on how the law would be implemented are included accordingly already.

May kasabihan:

“Prevention is better that cure”

Government should made action how to prevent this incidents/terrorism. Saka na sila aaksyon kapag nangyari na, dami tuloy check-point. Ok sana kung consistent.

On our part, di po pwede ang SIM Registration.
The FACT na ginagamit ng SINDIKATO yung mga ROAMING SIMS, they fake identities and informations….What more kung iregister pa ang Regular SIM PACKS..?

Yung anonymity natin sa telco’s as well as to other users is very important…This is very applicable pag dating sa ELOAD/AUTOLOAD anywhere….

You load everywhere, you BROADCAST your NAME EVERYWHERE.

SIM cards of postpaid subscribers are already registered, why would it be difficult to do for prepaid subscribers? Telcos would have to do it, it’s their job. If fake documents were to be used to register, then it would be the telcos’ fault that it happened; mahina ang verification. “Privacy”? Why, does it mean postpaid subscribers are exposed? And why should people be afraid that their SIM will be registered under their names if they don’t intend to do something bad with it? This is an idea whose time has come. And yeah, stop all this crap about us being a third world country. No wonder nothing much happens to us, many of us could not think beyond our present limitations.

Sim card registration for new users – yes pwede yan. Sim card registration for existing users – yan ang matrabaho. First of all, ilang sim cards ang pwedeng i-register sa isang tao? Kasi ngayon halos lahat may sim card sa bawat provider. Tapos connected din ang sim card registration sa number portability. Kasi kunwari 1 sim card lang allowed per person, it means na pag prepaid ka at gusto mong mag-postpaid, allowed ng i-port yung number mo.

Privacy? If you’re so worried about your privacy, you wouldn’t use Facebook, Twitter and other SNS using your fullname containing your birthdate, hometown, company history, family info, etc. Mas madaling kayang mangscam/stalk online. I don’t think telcos would share your name & info whenever you load thru retailers since that’s not right. Telcos should handle the cost in registration, that should be part of their service. And yes, pls stop the third world mentality. It’s insulting to those who are doing their job worthy to be called first class. Whatever we do, we’re still living in a third world so we can’t do anything about some improvement? Nasa isip nyo lang yan how you treat yourself. I’ve been using my sim for 8 years now, I don’t consider myself a ‘disposable’ subscriber.

Prepaid users, just like those postpaid have the right to be treated fairly since we also contribute to the telcos’ revenue, hence we deserve some protection as well. Para mabawasan na rin yung usage abuse dahil sa anonymity.

i am pro for SIM Registration! Why not diba?

In the fight against terrorism, we must be proactive. Wag natin iasa lahat sa government. Ok na may plans na ang government to fight terrorism (i.e. SIM card registration, CCTV camera on buses) pero dapat kumilos din ang mamamayan. Magbantay tayo kasi tayo ang talagang tinatarget ng mga terrorista.

Mga pinoy talaga… Walang may gusto sa info niyo!!! James Bond ba kayo kaya kailangan itago lahat ng info?

Di nga nahihiya mag post ng malalanding pics online eh… Nilagay nyo na lahat ng info niyo sa friendster!!! Wala ka nang kailangan itago pa!!!

tama nga si raymond sa post niya.

“eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

@Penoy
Di nga lahat nakalagay ay totoo pero sa pics palang na pinopost alam na kagad kung ano ka klaseng tao at kung saan ka palaging nakikita…

Ewan ko… Katulong namen sa bahay may friendster parin eh… At natatandaan ko sa pinas malakas ang friendster

Sa laki ng companies na katulad ni smart, globe, sun… Papayag ba sila manakawan ng info? Mas tiwala pa nga ako sa security nila kaysa sa security ng files nila kaysa sa mga files naten sa cityhall…

Sinasabi ko lang gano kalaking invasion of privacy ang sim card registration?

And lastly para ma prevent ang ganitong bombings dapat di na payagan pumara kahit saan ang mga bus… At sa bus station at bus stop may pulis palagi…
Mas tipid sa registration at cctv cameras… Disiplina lang naman talaga kailangan…

Actually dito sa Singapore before your allowed to purchase a prepaid sim need muna ng NRIC number mo. Na try ko yun dati sa Singtel. Sa Pinas tingin ko mahirap yan implement kasi sa sobrang dami ng tao.

I just wanted to point out that, in Asia, the 2 countries you listed as already doing this, Singapore and China, are authoritarian regimes with no freedom.

Is that the model we want to follow? Turn our free Democracy into authoritarianism by incrementally removing freedom after freedom from all of us Philipino citizens?

I say, this is crazy and idiotic. These attacks are being taught to domestic terrorists by foreigners. Our domestic groups do not have the expertise to know how to setup a remote mobile detonator. Indeed several months ago it was already known that foreign terrorists had come to the RP. That was why we got travel advisories over the holiday.

So I propose we force registration on non-citizens only.

Our drivers’ licenses gives our nationality. Mine says Philippines and on resident foreigners I know it says the country of their citizenship. Non-resident foreigners don’t get driver’s licenses. So the solution is simple, buy a sim and show a drivers license. If it says Philippines, no registration. If it says something else or you don’t have one, the the sim needs to be registered by the retailer.

@Iyan Sommerset
Stupidity is not an excuse. The mere fact that somebody could use it to lengthen your bill is enough cause to panic.

This would entail cost to the carrier. Carrier will not want to shoulder it, and pass on the “registration fee” to the subscriber. This, I’m sure, will hurt. Now if we’re amenable to pay for that “progress” people seem to talk about a lot here, then by all means.

This is good but conduct a forum or an online poll so that the CONGRESS & TELCOS will know what we fill like lessening the bomb scare carnappings kidnappings & more

Human manipulation is only needed for maintenance.

Just use the danish ID system – even Japan is using it now.

It’s robust, it’s proven to work and it’s simple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_identification_number_(Denmark)

Then there would be no issue at all – require all sim cards to be registered with the person ID number and voila security has been improved and all the privacy nuts can rest assured it doesn’t leak info.

Ok lang naman mag pa Sim registration. May mga professionals here in the Philippines that specialized in securing databases and companies. Sa akin lang kung walang disciplina kahit anung systema implement ng mga local Telcos or ng kahit anung bansa hindi magiging maganda Kahit na democratic pa yan or authoritarian. Hindi natin pwedeng i-asa sa gobyerno lahat. Hirap kasi sa karamihan sa atin eh abusado.

Dear friends,
how can i know owner name? can you help me plz send me detail.
thanks.

Yugatech please also feature the pending Mobile Telephone Number Portability Act wherein mobile subscribers can RETAIN their number when transferring to a different network provider. The bill has been filed several times in the House of Representatives and in the Senate for several years, to no avail. Now that we are seeing SIM Registration finally to be enforced, the next reasonable step is to have MTN Portability Act signed into a law as well! I am hoping for your support Yugatech.

Thanks