The group ‘Junk SIM Registration Network’ has asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order on the implementation of a law that requires the registration of SIM cards.
In an ABS-CBN News report, the group argued that the law violates freedom of expression and right to privacy.
Maded Batara III, the group’s spokesperson, said the public is obliged to give government and telcos their phone numbers, name, and other personal information, with the risk that these could be harvested by criminals.
He also said in the report that those who fail to register their SIMs will “forever be silenced” and lose access to mobile services, which they rely on to communicate with family members, co-workers, and even doctors.
Additionally, as per Batara, the SIM Card Registration Law could violate the right to unreasonable searches and seizures as it would provide a registry of phone numbers that the police or military can access with a subpoena.
However, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the law would regulate the issuance of SIM cards to curb the spread of spam text messages and scams.
National Telecommunications Commission Deputy Commissioner Jon Paulo Salvahan said on Monday that regulators and stakeholders are still studying the possible extension of the SIM registration deadline on April 26.
The SIM registration law states that failure to register mobile numbers will result in deactivation. However, the regulators can grant a maximum of 120-day extension if necessary.
Major telco players in the country have urged the government to extend the deadline, citing the lack of IDs and digital capabilities as roadblocks to SIM registration.
