'Risk and discrimination' await deactivated SIM users — group

MANILA, Philippines — An advocacy group rang the alarm bells on the ramifications of deactivated SIM cards as the national government was in no mood to extend the registration. 

In a statement on Wednesday, the Junk SIM Registration Network said that consumers could end up exposing themselves to “physical danger and unnecessary risk.” The Marcos Jr. administration extended registration to July 25, in a bid to accommodate a larger segment of consumers. 

Telcos, such as Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc., ramped up their information campaign in recent weeks to compel users to comply with the policy. 

The group reckoned 62 million SIMs were deactivated as a result of the controversial policy, which some feared could worsen security and privacy woes for the Philippines. 

As it is, the state’s move to register SIM cards was met with widespread opposition from civil society groups. Criticisms hurled towards the decision that registering SIM cards in the state’s database was in violation of data protection and privacy laws.

"SIM deactivation is not simply a matter of inconvenience," said Maded Batara III, spokesperson of Junk SIM Registration Network.

“The DICT is quick to label these unregistered SIMs as inactive, but the truth is we have no way of knowing what vital services deactivation is cutting these SIM users from. This is the legacy of SIM registration: discrimination upon those already marginalized,” he added. 

The law mandates immediate deactivation of these unregistered SIMs, enforced Wednesday midnight. That said, the caveat is that “deactivated” users have a five-day period to register with the national government. 

If users opt to stay out of databases, they will lose access to their old SIM cards by July 31. 

The concerns were nothing new but once these SIMs were deactivated, some consumers inevitably lost access to disaster alerts, and to financial and social services, underscoring the calls of civil society to halt SIM registration.

The Junk SIM Registration Network implored the Supreme Court in April to issue a temporary restraining order to the measure, arguing freedom of expression and privacy concerns.

That said, the Marcos Jr. administration is keen to enforce the measure as they claimed SIM registration would buttress against the wave of scam and spam messages. 

“In 5 days, millions will lose access to their SIMs. We call on those who are part of the disenfranchised, the people who registered for fear of losing access to their SIMs despite privacy concerns, and those who are simply unable to register for whatever reason, to demand reactivation and accountability from President Marcos himself,” Batara said. — Ramon Royandoyan