The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has once again implored Namibians to register their SIM cards, saying mandatory registration will commence on 01 January for a period of 12 months.

In a media statement issued on Wednesday by CRAN’s Legal Advisor, Geneva Hanstein said the public should note that failure to register SIM cards will result in the deactivation of the cards by 31 December 2023.

Hanstein said SIM cards are being registered as per the Communication Act 8 of 2009 aimed to protect mobile users’ information, telephone numbers, other identification, and internet protocol addresses of the consumers as well as identification of the base station and cell site.

“CRAN launched a national SIM Registration Awareness Campaign on 07 June 2022 to create awareness and educate consumers on the importance of SIM Registration,” Hanstein noted.

The Legal Advisor further said the data protection bill which is currently in the final stages of consultations is aimed at ensuring the safety and protection of individuals’ rights when their personal information is processed, providing the lawful processing of personal data and the restrictions in terms of when personal data may be processed and the security measures regarding the integrity and confidentiality of personal data.

She equally noted that access to consumer information would only be offered after a request authorized by a judge or magistrate to obtain stored information from the mobile operators as set out in the Criminal Procedure Act of 51 of 1997 and Namibia Central Intelligence Service Act 10 of 1997.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency