Region: SIM Cards on Register
According to a new provision in the law on electronic communications, adopted earlier this year, mobile phone companies have to register their name, address and EGN – Bulgaria’s equivalent of a social security number – by the end of 2009. This includes more than five million pre-paid SIM cards sold by the country’s three mobile phone operators – MobilTel, Globul and Vivacom.
Until now, pre-paid SIM cards were sold without any requirement to give personal information. Police have consistently pressed for the legislative change, however, because pre-paid cards have become a favourite tool of kidnappers, phone fraudsters and criminals as they were untraceable. Some of the country’s bomb blasts over the past five years have been organised with the help of pre-paid SIM cards…