With one-way SIM locked, users hope there is a mechanism for special cases

(Dan Tri) - From June 15, telecommunications carriers in Vietnam have simultaneously deployed one-way blocking for subscribers who have not authenticated information according to Circular 08 of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The network announced that it would block subscribers due to not verifying information according to Circular 08 (Photo: Trung Nam).

This regulation aims to tighten management, eliminate the problem of junk SIMs and prevent fraud in cyberspace.

However, this review and standardization also caused many users to encounter problems, even though they had no intention of avoiding authenticating subscriber information.

Locked SIM because it cannot be transferred to the owner's name

The case of Mr. Trung Kien (character's name has been changed), a communications employee working in Hanoi, is a typical example. On June 15, Mr. Kien could not make outgoing calls because his subscription was one-way locked. This is the phone number he has used continuously since 2018 when he started college.

Sharing with Dan Tri, Mr. Kien expressed: "Before that, the network continuously sent messages informing me that my subscriber needed to authenticate the owner's information. I proactively went to the store to standardize it.

However, because this SIM was purchased a long time ago (when I was a student) and in the name of another person, the transaction staff could not transfer the name because the network's regulations required the presence of the old owner. Finding the original owner after many years is impossible."

Mr. Kien said he fully supports the policy of standardizing subscriber information according to Circular 08 to prevent junk SIMs and fraud. However, he hopes that network operators will soon have a flexible mechanism for specific cases.

Users can prove actual ownership through bill payments, contact history, or bank accounts and national identification application VNeID linked to the phone number.

In fact, Mr. Kien's story is not unique. Ms. Tran Thuy Linh (online salesperson) is also struggling to find a way to retain the phone number associated with her business after her subscription was one-way locked.

"Due to the nature of my job, I have to call customers every day, so when the SIM was locked, I had to proactively buy a new SIM to maintain contact. I bought the old phone number from an agent a long time ago, so it was not the owner.

I really hope the network has a mechanism to support name transfer without the presence of the old owner. If this phone number is revoked, having to re-register and change information linked to a series of bank accounts and social networks will be extremely complicated," Ms. Linh said sadly.

As soon as network operators started blocking unverified subscriber information, many social network users shared on groups about experiencing similar things as above.

Expect a flexible authentication mechanism from the carrier

According to information from the Department of Telecommunications, to date there have been more than 93 million phone numbers whose owners have been confirmed through the VNeID application.

However, there are still about 18 million subscribers who have not confirmed their usage status. These subscribers will be temporarily suspended from providing one-way service from June 15.

In addition, many people also expressed concern that their personal information could be used to register "junk SIMs" without even knowing.

Network operators support people in authenticating mobile subscriptions (Photo: The Anh).

Regarding this issue, the Telecommunications Law 2023 clearly stipulates that users must be responsible before the law for registered phone numbers. To support people, Circular 08 has added a transition clause, providing tools to help users look up all phone numbers in their name at all carriers.

Notably, after being locked one-way on June 15, customers will have an additional 60 days to carry out verification procedures according to regulations.

After 5 days from the two-way lock, if the user still does not authenticate, the network operators will officially terminate the service contract and recall the subscription number to the digital warehouse in accordance with the law.

In fact, many users currently use stable phone numbers but are stuck with the legal process regarding ownership.

Faced with this situation, many users hope that network operators and management agencies will soon research appropriate mechanisms for specific cases, ensuring the rights of actual users while still meeting subscriber management requirements.

Recently, Zalo and Viettel have coordinated to deploy solutions to improve safety for users of telecommunications services and digital platforms. Accordingly, Viettel updated and provided Zalo with a list of mobile subscriptions that have been revoked.

On that basis, Zalo conducts a review of all accounts registered with these phone numbers, and proactively sends notifications to support users in converting phone numbers promptly and in accordance with the law.

To maintain a smooth connection, users need to pay attention to monitoring notifications and proactively perform authentication according to instructions.