In Benin, SIM cards not registered after March 30, 2025 will be deactivated by telecom operators from April 30. This was decided by the Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) during the last extraordinary session of its Council.
“Upon notification of this decision, electronic communications network operators will send a daily SMS notification indicating to the users concerned on their networks the timetable for the end of the process (end date of identification data update operations, date of receipt and date of deactivation of unidentified subscribers)” informs the regulator.
The Beninese authorities have imposed SIM registration to better protect telecom subscribers against fraud, scams and cybercrime in general by precisely identifying each user. This also allows them to better regulate the telecommunications sector, and makes it possible to better secure transactions in a context of booming mobile financial services.
It should be noted that the process requires a strict framework for the protection of personal data to avoid cases of leaks, or even misappropriations as occurred in the Republic of Mauritius, forcing the country to cancel registration operations. Malicious individuals can use false identities to register SIMs, thus reducing the effectiveness of the fight against crime.
For example, the National Digital Investigation Center (CNIN) announced on Thursday, February 13, the dismantling of a network of criminals diverting the personal data of Beninese people as part of the national campaign to update mobile numbers.
As a reminder, Benin is one of the best students in terms of cybersecurity in Africa. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the country had a score of 91.54 out of 100 in the global cybersecurity index in 2024. In addition, Porto-Novo has ratified the African Union agreements on cybersecurity and the protection of personal data, as well as the Budapest Convention on cybercrime.
Source: extensia.tech
