WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has addressed concerns over potential mass surveillance following mandatory SIM card registration, dismissing claims as unfounded.
According to The Namibia Press Agency, the ministry responded to assertions by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), which suggested that the Namibia Central Intelligence Service (NCIS) could misuse the registration process for spying on citizens. Mathe clarified that law enforcement agencies require judicial authorization to access SIM users’ call data, reinforcing the legal safeguards in place to protect citizens’ privacy. He further assured that the mandatory SIM card registration aligns with the Communications Act of 2009, urging the public to register their SIM cards by the set deadline to avoid service disruption.