Gatchalian urges NTC to crack the whip on SIM registration issue amid fraudulent use by cybercriminals
October 3, 2024
Gatchalian urges NTC to crack the whip on SIM registration issue amid fraudulent use by cybercriminals
Senator Win Gatchalian urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to enforce stricter supervision of telecommunication providers relating to the implementation of the SIM registration law, amid the fraudulent use of SIMs by cybercriminals including those in the industry of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
"We want the NTC to crack the whip if telcos are not following the law and NTC rules. That's the only way we can instill discipline because, for them, a SIM card sold means revenue," the senator said at a Senate hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to which the NTC is an attached agency.
A co-author of the SIM Registration Act, Gatchalian emphasized that the NTC should be able to prevent fraudulent registration of SIMs by strictly supervising telcos. He noted that such fraud enables criminal syndicates, including those in the POGO industry, to defraud unsuspecting victims using fraudulently registered SIMs.
"The root of the problem is easy access to SIM cards despite our SIM registration law. There is so much disappointment with its implementation. The NTC should prevent criminals from purchasing thousands of SIM cards and to really implement the true spirit of the law which is to allow legitimate people with good intentions to buy SIM cards. I believe the law is adequate and it is in the implementation of the law where the problem lies," he said.
According to the NTC, the agency has already issued verification guidelines to enable telcos to put up a system that would prevent fraudulent registration of SIM. These guidelines include comparing submitted data with ID information using advanced technology such as facial recognition and facial matching.
However, a simulation by the National Privacy Commission, another DICT attached agency, showed that Smart Communications was the only telco that successfully prevented fraudulent SIM registration.
Gatchalian emphasized that if Smart can prevent fraudulent registration of SIM, then the other telcos should be able to do the same. "Whatever Smart is doing, the other telcos should be able to do also. They should adopt the same technology," he said.
"Higpitan pa natin. We don't want fraudulent SIM registration to happen over and over again," he concluded.
Gatchalian hinimok ang NTC na maging mahigpit sa isyu ng SIM registration sa gitna ng panloloko ng cybercriminals
Hinimok ni Senator Win Gatchalian ang National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) na ipatupad ang mas mahigpit na pangangasiwa sa mga telecommunication providers kaugnay sa pagpapatupad ng batas sa pagpaparehistro ng SIM, sa gitna ng mapanlinlang na paggamit ng mga SIM ng mga cybercriminal kabilang ang mga nasa industriya ng Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
"Gusto nating higpitan pa ng NTC ang pagpapatupad ng mga telcos kung sila ay hindi sumusunod sa batas at mga patakaran ng NTC. Yan lang ang paaran para madisiplina sila dahil para sa mga telcos, ang pagbebenta ng SIM ay kita," ayon sa senador, sa nakaraang pagdinig ng Senado sa panukalang budget ng Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) kung saan ang NTC ay isang attached ageny.
Bilang co-author ng SIM Registration Act, binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian na dapat na mapigilan ng NTC ang mapanlinlang na pagpaparehistro ng mga SIM sa pamamagitan ng mahigpit na pangangasiwa sa telcos. Binanggit niya na ang ganitong pandaraya ay nagbibigay-daan sa mga sindikato, kabilang ang mga nasa industriya ng POGO, na mambiktima gamit ang mga mapanlinlang na nakarehistrong SIM.
"Ang ugat ng problema ay ang madaling pagkuha ng mga SIM card sa kabila ng ating batas sa pagpaparehistro ng SIM. Maraming hindi nasisiyahan sa pagpapatupad nito. Dapat pigilan ng NTC ang mga kriminal na bumili ng libu-libong SIM card at talagang ipatupad ang tunay na diwa ng batas na payagan ang mga lehitimong taong may magandang intensyon na bumili ng SIM card. Naniniwala ako na sapat ang batas pero sa pagpapatupad nito nagkakaroon ng problema," aniya.
Ayon sa NTC, naglabas na ang ahensya ng verification guidelines para bigyang-daan ang mga telcos na maglagay ng sistema na makakapigil sa mapanlinlang na pagpaparehistro ng SIM. Kasama sa mga alituntuning ito ang paghahambing ng isinumiteng data sa impormasyon ng ID gamit ang advanced na teknolohiya tulad ng ilang pagsusuri tulad ng facial recognition at facial matching.
Gayunpaman, ipinakita ng simulation ng National Privacy Commission, isa pang ahensyang naka-attach sa DICT, na ang Smart Communications ang tanging telco na matagumpay na pumigil ng mapanlinlang na pagpaparehistro ng SIM.
Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian na kung napipigilan ng Smart ang mapanlinlang na pagpaparehistro ng SIM, dapat ay magagawa rin ito ng ibang telco. "Kung ano man ang ginagawa ng Smart, dapat magawa din ng ibang telcos. Dapat nilang gamitin ang parehong teknolohiya, "sabi niya.
"Higpitan pa natin. Ayaw natin na paulit-ulit na mangyari ang mapanlinlang na SIM registration," pagtatapos niya.
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