Hong Kong authorities deactivate more than 1 million SIM cards after owners fail to complete real-name registration
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Hong Kong authorities have deactivated over 1 million SIM cards in the past year due to owners failing to complete real-name registration. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau reported that telecoms companies cancelled about 1.18 million SIM cards in the 12 months leading up to January, while an additional 1.33 million cards were rejected for registration due to incomplete applications. The regulation, which took effect in September 2021, requires all SIM card users in Hong Kong to register their personal information before February 2023. The measure has been effective in reducing the number of scams in Hong Kong, with a 38.1% decrease in telephone fraud cases in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The real-name registration system helps law enforcement agencies investigate and prevent crimes, including telephone fraud, conducted using prepaid SIM cards. As of February, approximately 14 million SIM cards have completed real-name registration.
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