South Africans have just one day left to submit comments and feedback on proposals in terms of which all who register a new SIM card will have to submit biometric information such as fingerprints to mobile operators.
The proposals have raised concerns about privacy and data protection from citizens and advocacy groups.
The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) has been working on a plan to update SIM registration requirements, among a host of new rules and regulations that it hopes will help to curb fraud.
It says stricter security measures are required to curb the hijacking of mobile phone numbers through porting or via a SIM swap transaction, among other instances of fraudulent activity.
In March, Icasa published draft regulations proposing to link the biometric data of phone users to their SIM cards.
If successful, the new regulations would require all South Africans to provide their biometric data — such as fingerprint mapping, facial recognition and retina scans — to mobile service providers to obtain a new cellphone number or swap a SIM card.
Critics have raised data privacy and other concerns about the plan, as mobile operators will now have access to more sensitive personal identification information for customers that, if breached, could be used to commit fraud or identity theft.
A campaign by advocacy group Dear SA about the proposal has attracted more than 25,000 comments regarding the changes, with many South Africans saying the move is a violation of citizens’ right to privacy, also noting that certain elements of the rule are a contravention of the law.
Wide use
Under the current Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act (Rica), a person has to submit only valid identity and proof of residence information to obtain a new SIM card.
The draft proposals are included alongside other draft regulations published by the regulator that close for public comment on May 11.
Despite the objections, the collection of biometric data is already gaining wide use in sectors such as financial services, in which banks take in customer fingerprint information, for example. Some companies, universities and residential complexes use such information to control movement on private property. The department of home affairs has been collecting such information for a number of years for national identity documents and visa applications.
Gur Geva, co-founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii, a company specialising in biometric digital facial authentication and automated onboarding technology, says the objective of the new proposals is to prevent serious crime and protect consumers from the financial and emotional trauma of identity fraud in which associated phone numbers are used.
“Criminals who use a multitude of mobile numbers in illegal activities including fraud, money laundering, terrorism and kidnapping would have a harder time hiding from law enforcement should new regulations come into effect,” Geva said.
“And because biometric data cannot be copied, consumers would have an added layer of protection against their cell number being used in identity theft or to authenticate fraudulent payments.”
He said the technology behind binding biometrics to SIM cards is well established, safe and secure.
Update: May 10 2022This story has been updated with additional information.
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