Mozambican government pushes for SIM card registration, raising privacy concerns

According to Global Voices, Mozambique is pushing for the registration of prepaid SIM cards amid privacy concerns and potential interference with election monitoring efforts. The national telecommunication authority issued in June a 10-day ultimatum for operators to urgently register all users of prepaid SIM cards. The Mozambican government maintains that the registration of SIM cards is necessary to fight crime and fraud, but privacy groups argue that such registration is an infringement on users’ right to communicate privately.