Staff Reporter
THE Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) is defending the mandatory SIM card registration to be implemented, emphasising that it can protect the nation from cybercrimes and assist law enforcement with investigations, among other benefits.
This comes after CRAN launched a National SIM Registration Awareness Campaign in June, announcing that SIM card registration will be mandatory from 2023. This announcement was met with hesitance, prompting CRAN to go on a mission to raise awareness, debunk misinformation and encourage compliance.
According to CRAN’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Emilia Nghikembua, Namibia is one of two African countries that have not implemented SIM registrations, while more than 157 countries around the world have already done so. Citing a 2021 Assessment Report by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), she said that Africa has over 500 million internet users and the fastest growing internet and telephone networks in the world.
“This poses great benefits, but for Namibia to reap them and be prepared for cyberthreats, such as scammed text messages, protection of the nation and individual users must be implemented through SIM Registration,” Nghikembua said.
She explained that people in Africa make the widest use of mobile banking services and independent organisations have raised concerns that women and girls, in particular, are at risk of cybercrimes due to a lack of legislation that protects individual users. She therefore said that the registration of SIM cards is a big step in the right direction for citizens to access electronic financial services legitimately and safely.
Nghikembua added that SIM registration is also complementary to existing legislation as it enables the verification of digital identities and the use of phone numbers during investigations by law enforcement and national security agencies. This, she said, will make it easier to protect users from cybercrime and to find evidence to prosecute culprits.
