Tunisia is taking decisive action to manage the proliferation of SIM cards, with the Ministry of Communication Technologies and the National Telecommunications Authority (INT) directing telecom operators to deactivate unidentified or improperly registered SIM cards. Reactivation will require valid ID verification.
The initiative includes updating subscriber data, prohibiting unauthorized street sales of SIM cards, and allowing users to verify numbers associated with their identity. This move is part of broader efforts to curb cybercrime and financial fraud, driven by the rapid growth of mobile and internet services in Tunisia.
With an estimated 16 million mobile phone subscribers—exceeding the country’s 12.3 million population—there is concern that these figures are inflated by multiple SIM ownership and frequent number changes. The timeline for completing this process remains unclear, but similar efforts in larger countries like Nigeria have proven to be more challenging than anticipated.
