Bogus phone calls spark telecommunications law

PANAMA. A  recent proposal to regulate telecommunications from the government has caused some to worry about their privacy but others have found valid reasons behind it.  

During a meeting with President Ricardo Martinelli, Juan Carlos  Sieiro, president of the  20-30 Club said “ The government's proposal  to demand from the telephone companies their record of prepaid  users will contribute to reducing  fake calls to emergency numbers like 911”. 

Sieiro also said “Currently there are irresponsible citizens that under cellphone anonymity make false emergency reports, and this hinders the effective work of this important medical emergency attention service”.

The  proposal of a telecommunications security law will be presented next Wednesday  to the National Assembly  for their  discussion  and approval.

It establishes that communications companies must register the information of more than 3,500,00  prepaid cellphones users just as they do with contract users.

This law is intended to help defuse the high levels of social insecurity, extortion schemes and  fake calls to emergency services like 911, firefighters, national police and the civil protection agency (SINAPROC). 

The 911 emergency service has received  more than two million fake phone calls in six months. Ninety-two percent of calls received by firefighter's are false. So far this  year their operators have taken 35,342  bogus calls.

On a regular day  SINAPROC receive 137 calls of which only 17 are real.