Globe SIM registration site up after outage due to 'potential minor vulnerabilities'
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 10:17 a.m.) — Globe Telecom Inc. announced Wednesday that their SIM registration microsite is finally back up after being taken down for around a full day following the discovery of "potential minor vulnerabilities."
Globe said in a statement Tuesday night that these unspecified vulnerabilities "require careful patching in order to prevent any serious threat to customer data."
It added, “These issues prompted Globe to take proactive measures to make the site temporarily inaccessible as customer data security is paramount and any problem detected is treated with utmost severity."
Previously, Globe said it took the SIM registration site offline to add a verification step where users upload selfies with government-issued IDs. The company also moved to fix an issue where users receive a “null” response after registering.
The telco, which serves 87.9 million users, said it requested the National Telecommunications Commission a maximum of 72 hours to address the issue.
“Globe takes full responsibility for the actions it has taken and is prepared to accept any regulatory penalty if merited, in order to prioritize the protection of its customers' data,” it said.
It also asked customers for patience and understanding “given this unprecedented and massive IT deployment.”
“We wish to assure our customers that Globe is doing its best to deliver a SIM registration platform that provides a good digital experience for customers, that is also secure and safe,” Globe said.
It said that prior to the site being taken down, “at least 20,000” were able to register their SIMs.
Technical difficulties marred the first day of SIM registration on Tuesday, with many mobile users unable to register on the portals provided by the two biggest telcos, Globe and Smart Communications, as they were either taken down or inaccessible due to heavy traffic.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology forewarned Monday that problems may occur in the first two weeks of SIM registration, which it said will be considered a “test registration” period.
The SIM Registration Act was among the laws identified by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as his administration’s priorities. It was swiftly and overwhelmingly approved by Congress, which is dominated by his allies.
The law is meant to curb crime and spam text messages, although ICT rights advocates have cast doubt whether it will actually work given the failure of similar measures in other countries.
A similar proposal was rejected by Marcos’ predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, over concerns that the bill — which then contained a provision for the registration of social media accounts — will “give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated to indicate that Globe's SIM registration website is now up after the outage.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed into law the SIM Card Registration Act, which entails all subscribers to give their names and addresses to their service providers. Follow this page for updates.
Photo courtesy of The STAR/Jesse Bustos
Junk SIM Registration Network holds protest action in front of the Department of Information and Communications Technology amid the looming deadline for the sim registration.
The group is opposing SIM deactivation, citing that it is a discrimination against millions of SIM card owners from the grassroots communities.
The National Telecommunications Commission says it will no longer extend the July 25 deadline for registration of SIM cards.
That means failure to register by 11:59 p.m. of July 5 will result in deactivation of mobile services, the NTC explains.
Supreme Court decides not to issue a Temporary Restraining Order on the SIM Card Registration Act. Instead, the SC orders the government to file its comment on the petition questioning the constitutionality of the law within 10 days of notice. — Kristine Joy Patag
Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announces that the deadline for registering SIMs has been extended for 90 days.
Globe says their SIM registration reminder sent out through the Emergency Cell Broadcast System was “within acceptable paramaters.”
In a statement posted by The STAR, the telecom adds that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council raised no objections on the use of the ECB after prior notice.
READ: Globe Telecom Inc. says the government made no objection to its use of the emergency cell broadcast to remind subscribers to register their SIM. Under the law, the emergency cell broadcast is used to blare warnings in times of disaster. | @alyasjah pic.twitter.com/hwRiaf6qA5
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) April 24, 2023
“Globe took this step as it sought to urgently advise its customers to register their SIMs to avoid deactivation of their mobile services, which are crucial for day-to-day needs,” it adds. — with reports from The STAR/Elijah Felice Rosales
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