SIM Registration

(Main argument/thesis statement)

The Republic Act no. 11934, often known as the SIM Card Registration Act, is a law that seeks to hold
people using SIM cards accountable and help law enforcement find those responsible for crimes
committed using mobile devices. According to this law, users are required to register their SIM cards with
the appropriate PTE (PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ENTITY) and to produce legitimate identification
documents or other documents with photographic identification(includes full name and addresses).
Minors who use SIM cards should also register them in the name of their parents' approving guardians.
Penalties for breaking this law range from $100,000 to $1,000,000.

However, the user of SIM cards is not protected by this regulation; in fact, it puts them at greater risk.
People's privacy is disregarded as they give their personal information via their IDs and/or documents,
putting their personal information at risk of being used in other crimes.

(Supporting details)

Many citizens and professionals opposed the law after it was published. "Given the poor implementation
of the Data Privacy Act (DPA) and a culture that does not yet appreciate our right to privacy, this is an
additional risk to the people," said Kim Cantillas, secretary general of the Computer Professionals Union
(CPU). Given that government agencies' current data privacy controls are inefficient and lax, this law puts
the welfare of SIM card users at risk and may result in much more serious crimes and occurrences.
This action disregards the personal data and privacy of SIM card users.

Furthermore, this act makes it more difficult for communication use especially for elders and
marginalized communities such as urban poor. Citizens with lack of knowledge in technology will only
suffer for much complicated process to communicate with other via personal or business transactions.
Rural poor may suffer going through their local municipalities due to long or hectic way for them to
register the sim cards. Some people also don't have valid identification cards or economic means to
process your registration of their SIM cards.

This act is also inaccessible, it is not publicly available unlike the registration of national ID where
authorities come to different towns and mandate the people to register. Yet the government just announce
it online and the penalities range from hundred thousands to million which really put disadvantage to the
people.The bill only referenced the penalties for confidentiality breaches and corporate irresponsibility,
therefore it doesn't expressly address the problem of hackers utilizing SIM cards as a weapon for spam
and scamming activities. As a result, the SIM Registration Bill would only penalize those who fail to
register their SIM cards, not the targeted populations or those who purposefully abuse them.

(Conclusion)

In conclusion, sim registration act only threatens people's privacy, it also put people's personal data in
risk. It only hinders the easy communications, most people need and used this time. This bill put only
disadvantage to people who failed to register their SIM cards especially because of the overrated penalty
costs.