Computer pros protest SIM listup over privacy concerns

FROM INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — A group of computer professionals on Wednesday blasted the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for “threatening Filipinos to give up their personal information” by listing up their subscriber identification modules (SIMs) or else face deprivation of telecommunication services.

In a statement, the Computer Professionals’ Union (CPU) said such pronouncements only “exposed the anti-people nature of the SIM Registration Act, and that its true objective is not to quash scams, but to collect people’s personal information, leaving it open to be used for scams, surveillance and harassment.”

This was after the DICT said it may ask telecom firms to gradually disable certain services for SIM cards whose “hard-headed owners” insist on not registering their SIM cards in compliance with Republic Act No. 11934.

DICT on Monday extended the original April 26 deadline by 90 days, or until July 25, because of the low number of registrants among the 160 million SIM cards in use in the country.

Last week, several groups sought a temporary restraining order against the act’s implementation, arguing that the law tramples on privacy zones and undermines constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

While it was not part of the groups that sought this remedy, CPU urged the Supreme Court to consider the petition and resolve the pending case in their favor.

“Misleading the public to misunderstand and overvalue SIM registration as a solution to scams is a grave disservice to the public who are already tired of being flooded with surges of texts and calls attempting to extort money and information from them,” the group said. “The SIM Registration Law should be repealed before more of the people’s personal information is irreversibly exposed to unnecessary risk.”