Citizens in Tanzania have an extended deadline of January 20, 2020, to complete the biometric SIM card registration. Image of a fingerprint on a keyboard via Pixbay/Creative Commons. Tanzanian citizens have until January 20, 2020, to register their SIM cards through the new biometric registration system launched by the Tanzanian Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) on May 1, 2019. The biometric SIM card registration process means Tanzania joins a growing list of African nations gripped by the biometric data and digital identification revolution. The TCRA said biometric registration will help control cybercrime and fraudulent mobile phone abuse, among other reasons. In previous years, Tanzanian citizens were required to show their telecom provider a voting card, drivers’ license or passport to register SIM cards, pre- and post-paid. But those without documentation could typically register using the documentation of friends or relatives, according to Samuel Kabulo, a Tanzanian citizen who lives in Dar es Salaam, and spoke with Global Voices via Whatsapp. Now, in order to activate pre- and post-paid SIM cards, over 21.7 million mobile phone users in Tanzania must first register with the National Identification Authority (NIDA), which requires all citizens to provide fingerprints and proof of identity as part of the registration process. To complete the biometric SIM card registration process, users must then go to a local service provider, show their NIDA card or number, get their thumbprint taken — and that information is then shared, vetted and confirmed through the NIDA system. Those who do not register using the biometric system will be locked out of their SIM cards on January 20, and will not be able to make or receive phone calls or text messages. The new registration process also ensures that each user only registers one SIM card per network. All eight networks in Tanzania have promised full cooperation with the TCRA, according to a representative from the Tanzanian Mobile Network Operators. TCRA yapeleka kampeini ya Haachwi Mtu Nyuma kamilisha usajili wako mkoa Mtwara https://t.co/nipUM85NUn pic.twitter.com/8lCdpGlMUq — SwahiliCloud (@SwahiliCloud) December 11, 2019 TCRA is bringing your campaign, “No One Left Behind, Complete Registration,” to the district of Mtwara. This deadline is a 20-day extension from the original deadline of December 31, 2019, when it was reported that only 42 percent of SIM card owners had biometrically registered. On Friday, December 27, 2019, President John Magufuli announced, “This kind of registration is important for national security and will help to address fraud incidents involving mobile phones,” according to The Citizen. To drum up support for the biometric registration system, the TCRA identified 150 of Tanzania's top social media influencers to promote the campaign, “Haachwi Mtu Nyuma, Kamilisha Usajili” or “No One Will Be Left Behind, Complete Registration.” The campaign includes regional outreach, concerts and mass sign-ups in Zanzibar, Shinyanga, Singida, Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma districts throughout Tanzania. The influencers, who boast a combined base of 20 million followers, agreed to use their social media accounts to raise awareness about the importance of biometric registration. They also agreed to send a clear and direct message to citizens: register or face the lock-out consequences. On Tanzania's independence day, December 9, influencers like Masoud Kipanya, with over 784,000 followers, aligned with Airtel network and posted an urgent message to sign up for the biometric registration: Leo tunasherehekea Miaka 58 ya Uhuru, Kuwa Huru kwa Peruzi na kuangali mambo mbalimbali mitandao kwa spidi ya Airtel 4G na bando za DABO DATA, Pia kamilisha usajili kwa Alama za Vidole, ni fasta na rahisi.#NdukiNduki #Airtel4G Cc; @airtel_tanzania pic.twitter.com/Ktfvfq4WPA — Masoud Kipanya (@masoudkipanya) December 9, 2019 Today, we celebrate 58 years of independence. Feel free to peruse various networks with the speed of Airtel 4G and bundles with double data. Also, complete the biometric registration, it's fast and easy.