SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers says the SIM Registration Act needs 'more teeth' to stop online scams, noting that such criminal activities continue unabated despite the law's passage in 2022. The lawmaker does not specify the amendments he proposes, but the rationale for his call to action dovetails with the arguments that some critics of the law made when it was first being considered.

In other countries, SIM registration has not been effective in curbing crime but instead has fueled it, says Privacy International, a United Kingdom-based registered charity that defends and promotes the right to privacy across the world. States that have adopted SIM card registration have seen the growth of identity-related crime and have witnessed black markets quickly pop up to service those wishing to remain anonymous, the group adds.