When a company advertises a product or service, it may not make false claims. Even if only in the fine print, it has to disclose what implications it has for consumers, especially regarding costs and privacy.
So why does this not appear to apply to advertising by mobile networks to promote SIM card registration for RICA? The television adverts I have seen do not even say what RICA stands for. They don't make it clear that it is a legal requirement, nor that it compromises privacy by providing a third-party (government bureaucrats) with access to personal details.
"Just bring along your ID and proof of residence, and you can register your SIM card for RICA. It's easy, and it's free!" shouts the ad of one operator. It fails to identify that RICA stands for "Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act". It fails to note that even contract customers, who might think they have already provided ID and address details in order to qualify for post-paid credit, have to register. It fails to note that your SIM will be disabled if you couldn't be bothered with the schlep and the paperwork. In fact, they make it sound very much like some cool new service they're offering at no extra cost.
Are citizens not better served by informing them that this law will permit the government to intercept their communication logs, or even tap their phones, should they so wish? Are the operators afraid that identifying the law by its full name, rather than an acronym with a fancy logo, will prompt resistance among customers? Do they feel they need to lie to get people to comply?
Perhaps knowing what RICA stands for would indeed prompt resistance. After all, the law is an invasion of privacy and it treats everyone like a potential criminal. Resentment is a fairly reasonable reaction. It also cedes a great deal of power to the state. Once ceded, it is almost impossible for citizens to get power back. Most citizens know this.
They make it sound very much like some cool new service they're offering at no extra cost.
Ivo Vegter, ITWeb contributor
The law also imposes serious costs. Already, operators and airtime retailers have seen a huge hit in sales, especially in the prepaid market. Large prizes are being offered to entice customers to register, since every single person with a cellphone, data card or other SIM-based device will have to register in person. While many of South Africa's poor masses rely for cheap communication upon starter pack discounts, RICA registration imposes costs upon retailers and operators that will, inevitably, be recouped elsewhere, raising the price of communication.
What impact it will have on World Cup visitors remains unclear. One hopes that legal commentators are right in speculating that foreign visitors can merely provide a passport and proof of hotel residence in order to obtain a rental phone with local airtime, instead of having to rely on international roaming. The last time I travelled overseas, it didn't occur to me that someone in the destination country might need to see a copy of my water and lights bill. Nor did it occur to me that I might be guilty of a crime if I didn't terminate my local rental contract in writing and physically destroy my SIM card upon departure.
RICA isn't some bonus that operators are offering at no extra charge. When they advertise it as if it were some cool benefit, I feel like I'm being lied to. And I don't like doing business with companies that treat me like an idiot. Presumably, I'm not alone in that respect.
The operators have no choice in this matter. The people don't, either. It would sit a lot more comfortably if they at least could advertise RICA honestly. Say what it stands for, and what it means. That it is a legal requirement even if you have already provided your ID and address to your mobile operator. It will cost you both time and money, one way or another. It will cost you your ability to communicate if you don't comply. It will probably be both as ineffective, and as inconvenient, as registering your name and address to buy headache tablets is now.
Be honest: You have to register for RICA. We'll disconnect you if you don't. Here's how you do it. We'll try to make it painless, but you'll have to queue up in person with the paperwork, even if you're on contract, even if you're busy, and even if you're old and infirm. The deadline is... oh yeah, the advert didn't bother to specify that either.
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