Panama: Carriers will have to register data of users of prepaid lines

This is a machine translation of a press release by Panama's ASEP

The National Authority of Public Services (ASEP) requested the concessionary companies of Cellular Personal Communications Services (No. 106) and Cellular Mobile Telephony (No.107) to register the identity or general data of those people who purchase a prepaid phone line.

This measure is covered by article 2 of Law 51 of September 18, 2009, modified by Law 13 of February 20, 2018”, “which establishes regulations for the conservation, protection and provision of user data. of telecommunications services and adopts other provisions”.

Through Resolution AN No. 18397-Telco of April 26, 2023, the ASEP states that these companies must have the necessary technological means to collect, record and preserve online and in real time, the information of
identification provided by people who purchase a prepaid telephone line.

For such purposes, the technological means enabled by the concessionary companies must allow the registration of people who purchase a prepaid line using the capture of the image of the personal identity card or passport and the photo of the face, which will be validated, through a biometric engine a 100% digital proof of life, provided prior, unequivocal and duly informed consent is given to the person who acquires the line, and must comply with the Data Security Principle.

It was reported that the procedures implemented by the concessionary companies must in turn contemplate the registration of the complete general data of the holders of the new prepaid mobile lines and those that are already active in their system.

The concessionaire companies may only activate the service on those prepaid mobile lines whose holders have been duly registered through the technological means that the concessionaire companies have enabled.

The resolution also establishes that the concessionary companies must immediately block the prepaid mobile line when the user notifies them of the loss or theft of the SIM card.