Many subscribers go for authentication because of the misunderstanding that ‘the SIM will be locked’

“I’m about to travel far from Hanoi, I want to finish it with peace of mind,” said Thao in Cau Giay ward, Hanoi. Having not received any messages from the network operator, but reading on social networks that “unverified subscribers will be locked”, she took the opportunity to go to a telecommunications store on the way home from work to get support and avoid being overloaded, before Circular 08 on authentication of subscriber information took effect on April 15, 2019.

However, after waiting for more than 10 people to complete the procedure, she was told by the staff that her subscription was fully updated so she could go home.

Ngoc Hai and his mother in Vinh Tuy ward, Hanoi were also informed similarly. “I took my mother to register the owner, but she was worried about her SIM being locked so she urged me to go to work,” he said.

Late at night at a network operator store on Lac Trung Street, customers were still coming in and out continuously even though it was close to closing time. An employee said that the number of people coming to check-in has increased dramatically in the past few days. “It’s much more crowded, some days several times higher than normal,” this person said. “Among them, there are also people who misunderstand the regulations. They have updated their citizen identification and owner information but still come because they are afraid of being locked out.”

According to the process, from April 15, the VNeID application will send notifications to users in batches. They will be asked to confirm whether or not to use phone numbers in their name on all mobile networks in the country. In case the user confirms non-use, that phone number will be required to update information, otherwise it will be locked one-way for 60 days. On the contrary, if the main subscriber has enough information, the user can continue to use.

In fact, the new regulations do not require all subscribers to re-authenticate. Subscribers registered with VNeID, ID card, chip-embedded citizen identification card, or number used to register a VNeID level 2 account do not have to do so.

Viettel also affirmed that Circular 08 does not require “all customers to authenticate”. This network operator sent a message to this group, informing them that they did not need to take any further actions and could use the service normally.

“The remaining customers will need to perform facial biometric authentication according to regulations,” the network representative said, recommending users to go to the network operators’ applications to do so soon. People who do not have smartphones and the VNeID application will also be classified and provided with on-site support.

According to regulations, network operators must ensure that mobile subscribers have all four information fields including personal identification number, full name, date of birth, facial photo biometrics, and these data must match the National Population Database of the Ministry of Public Security. There are four accepted authentication methods, including: online via VNeID; via the network operator’s application; directly at the carrier’s service location; and at locations authorized by the carrier.

The group of users recommended to authenticate immediately includes those who registered their mobile SIM with documents other than CCCD, and those who subscribed in the name of their relatives.

Authenticating subscriber information according to Circular 08 is considered an important step to clean telecommunications data and enhance user protection. Nowadays, phone numbers not only serve communication but are also associated with many important digital services such as bank accounts, e-wallets, level 2 VNeID identification accounts and many other electronic transactions.

Full authentication of information, including facial biometrics, helps limit the use of fake documents and registration of unauthorized SIMs for fraud; At the same time, it contributes to protecting people’s rights and avoiding legal risks that arise when bad guys impersonate them to register and use subscriptions.