Thailand ends the era of junk SIMs

Since August 18, the Thai Government has officially applied liveness detection technology nationwide to verify identity during the process of registering a new SIM or changing SIM while keeping the same number.

Thai people will be forced to verify their identity using real-time facial recognition if they want to register for a SIM card - Photo: The Nation

This is considered an important step in the effort to combat online fraud, especially cases of phone number hijacking to control bank accounts.

Thailand builds a safe digital society

According to Thai government deputy spokesman Anukool Pruksanusak, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will roll out the technology to all new subscribers, both prepaid and postpaid, as well as existing customers who need to change SIM cards nationwide.

The system works similarly to the face scanning feature in banking apps when verifying identities in real time, helping to prevent fraudsters from using still photos, videos or 3D masks to impersonate.

This fixes the previous loophole where only an identity document was needed to register a SIM card on behalf of someone else, The Nation reported.

With this new measure, users are required to register directly at stores, service centers or via the carrier's official application.

All documents must be original and valid, in which Thai citizens must present their citizen identification card, foreigners must use their passport, and businesses must have a company certificate with documents of the legal representative.

Carriers are also responsible for protecting personal information under Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

The government stressed that this is part of an urgent effort to “reduce risks associated with phone numbers and build a safer digital society”.

The move comes as public opinion is increasingly concerned about a series of SIM-swap scams - a type of scam in which criminals take over a user's phone number by tricking the network operator into giving them a new SIM.

Once they have control of the phone number, criminals can easily intercept or receive OTP messages, thereby gaining access to bank accounts, e-wallets and other online services.

The new measure is expected to make it harder for criminals to exploit loopholes in the SIM registration process. However, the application of this technology also raises questions about the cost of implementation, the convenience for people, as well as the level of security of the facial data system stored.

"The NBTC prioritizes consumer protection and enhancing trust in telecommunications services. This measure will help reduce the risk of cyberattacks and criminals using phone numbers to commit crimes," NBTC Commissioner Natthorn Phaosunthon affirmed, calling for cooperation from all parties to build a safe and trustworthy digital society.

Global trends

Thailand is not the only country tightening SIM controls. Many countries have enacted strict regulations to ensure that subscriptions are accompanied by clear identity verification, in order to prevent fraud and cybercrime.

In India, all mobile phone subscribers are required to have an Aadhaar number - the national biometric identification system. This is a 12-digit personal identification number, issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of the Government of India, to every Indian citizen after completing a valid verification process. Each person is only given one unique code in their lifetime.

This mechanism will help curb the proliferation of junk SIMs - which are often used by cybercriminals and online scammers to hide their identities; and create a sustainable "tracing" mechanism, making it difficult for individuals and organizations to commit fraud via calls, messages or online applications to operate anonymously, the official portal of UIDAI said.

In Singapore, residents, tourists or foreign workers are only allowed to register a maximum of 3 prepaid SIM cards and must provide personal information and valid identification documents.

The government hopes this will prevent criminals from using multiple SIM cards to commit fraud or other illegal acts, according to the Singapore Business Review.

However, the policy of tightening SIM management also faces many challenges. In Thailand alone, the implementation of a nationwide facial recognition system requires a synchronous technology infrastructure, large investment costs and trained human resources. People are also concerned about complicated and time-consuming registration procedures or the risk of service interruption if documents are missing.

In addition, the legal and privacy aspects remain controversial. The collection and storage of biometric data such as faces or fingerprints poses a risk of leakage, attack or misuse.

Some have also argued that the regulation could become a surveillance tool for the government and erode citizens' privacy.

Therefore, the effectiveness of the policy depends largely on how it is implemented, the legal framework for protecting personal data, as well as the balance between ensuring security and maintaining people's freedoms.

Cybercrime booms in Asia

Cybercrime gangs originating from China and Southeast Asia are breaking out like a "digital epidemic" with an increasingly difficult-to-control scale, according to a United Nations report.

In 2023, East Asia and Southeast Asia alone lost about $37 billion due to online scams such as fake investments, cryptocurrencies and many other forms.

The United Nations warns that while crackdowns may cause short-term disruption, gangs are constantly adapting.

Taking advantage of new technology makes the situation more complicated, as they build a closed ecosystem based on encrypted messaging apps, e-wallets and cryptocurrencies to bypass authorities.

HA DAO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thai-lan-cham-dut-ky-nguyen-sim-rac-20250826093043409.htm