Tajikistan requires fingerprints to buy SIM cards

The parliament of Tajikistan has passed an ammendment that enforces stricter requirements for obtaining mobile SIM cards in the country.

Sim card. Image by DeclanTM / CC BY 2.0

Currently, only a passport is needed to obtain a SIM card, but under the new laws fingerprints will also have to be given. The government has cited issues with terrorism as the need for the change, saying that numerous Taliban militants have used the lax rules in Tajikistan to obtain multiple SIM cards. As part of the measure, the government will also crack down on illegal SIM card vendors at markets where ID is not required. Read more: eurasianet.org