New SIM Cards to Require Facial Biometric Verification
The rollout follows thousands of complaints about mobile lines being registered in citizens' names without their knowledge.
Facial biometric verification will become mandatory for activating new mobile SIM cards in Egypt within the next month, as the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) moves to curb unauthorised registrations and strengthen the protection of subscribers' personal data.
The new system will require customers to present their national ID cards and sign the standard service contract before completing an automated facial recognition check. SIM cards will only be activated once the system confirms that the purchaser's face matches the identification document, with the process carried out entirely through technical verification rather than human review. According to the NTRA, biometric data will not be stored by mobile operators.
The authority said the rollout comes after receiving around 4,000 complaints from citizens who discovered mobile lines had been registered in their names without their knowledge. Mohamed Ibrahim, Executive Vice President and spokesperson for the NTRA, confirmed that cases involving violations have been referred to the Public Prosecution, while mobile operators have been briefed on the new regulatory procedures.
Testing of the facial verification system is already under way, with implementation expected to be completed within one month. Until then, the sale of company-issued SIM cards has been suspended. The authority also plans to review existing company lines to ensure they remain in the possession of their registered users.
For Egyptians living abroad, the verification process will be available either through a representative in Egypt holding a valid power of attorney or remotely once the system becomes operational.
The NTRA said the measures are intended to end long-standing issues surrounding SIM card registration while strengthening the security of subscribers' personal information.
