Four mobile operators in Egypt referred to prosecution over illegal SIM cards

Apple is launching a leasing program to make iPhones, Macs and other products feel more affordable. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File The spokesperson for the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Mohamed Ibrahim, announced on Wednesday that the agency referred all four mobile operators in Egypt to the Public Prosecution over violations related to registering SIM cards under users’ names without their knowledge. Ibrahim added in a special broadcast on Radio Egypt that any citizen who discovers a mobile line registered under their name but not in their possession can visit a branch of the corresponding mobile company and sign a non-possession form. This form allows for the immediate suspension of the line and resolves the issue for the citizen. He clarified that citizens have the right, simply by presenting their national ID card, to obtain a list of all mobile numbers registered under their name. If a company employee refuses to provide this data, the citizen can contact the NTRA and file a complaint via the hotline 155, through the “Arqami” application, or via the agency’s official website and other official social media pages. The NTRA spokesperson emphasized that having a mobile line registered under a citizen’s name without their possession does not automatically imply legal responsibility for any illegal use of that line. Ibrahim explained that legal liability and conviction can only be established through official investigations, evidence, and circumstantial proof. Regarding the penalties imposed on the companies, the spokesperson stated that there are two types of sanctions: the first pertains to crimes and offenses under the jurisdiction of the Public Prosecution, while the second involves regulatory and administrative violations. For the latter, the NTRA holds the authority to enforce penalties in accordance with the law, operating licenses, and regulations governing telecommunications companies. He stressed that the agency will continue to tighten the rules regulating the sale of mobile lines to protect the confidentiality and privacy of citizens’ data.