Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has decided on Tuesday, 11 August, to tighten the procedures used to verify the identity of mobile phone line holders by accelerating the rollout of biometric verification mechanisms through mobile operator applications.
The move is intended to strengthen the SIM card registration process, reduce the risk of registering lines in individuals’ names without their knowledge, and prevent the recurrence of such incidents through new regulatory measures carried out in cooperation with Egypt’s four mobile operators.
Biometric verification is expected to rely on the user’s distinctive biometric characteristics to confirm identity, rather than depending solely on traditional personal information.
According to the NTRA’s communication, the new mechanisms will enable line holders to verify their identities more securely via mobile operator apps, improving the connection between line ownership data and the actual person holding the service.
The move comes as part of efforts to tighten control over mobile line registration following complaints that some lines were registered using citizens’ data without their consent.
The regulatory action also extends beyond new SIM registrations. NTRA has required mobile operators to send text messages to all existing lines registered in their systems, instructing line holders to visit operator branches to sign updated contracts in the actual holder’s name.
If line holders do not complete the contracting process within the specified timeframe, the line will be permanently deactivated.
At the same time, the authority emphasized that the verification model will provide citizens with digital options. The spokesperson of NTRA stated that biometric data used for verification will not be available to mobile companies, meaning company employees will not be able to access or manipulate these data.
He explained that the current process involves visiting an operator branch, providing a national ID card, filling in a contract form, and then receiving the SIM, while the new system will allow verification either through a mobile phone or through a branch visit, depending on the user’s choice.
In the digital option, citizens would verify identity from home by opening the phone camera to perform face biometric scanning, with technical automation matching the face biometric with the image on the national ID card, without human intervention. If the system detects a successful match, the operator employee would be allowed to hand over the line; if there is a mismatch, the SIM would not be provided.
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