  Mobile money services in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have increased access to
financial services. To ensure proper identification of users, countries have
put in place Know-Your-Customer (KYC) measures such as SIM registration using
an official identification. However, half of the 850 million people without IDs
globally live in SSA, and the use of SIM cards registered in another person's
name (third-party SIM) is prevalent. In this study, we explore challenges that
contribute to and arise from the use of third-party SIM cards. We interviewed
36 participants in Kenya and Tanzania. Our results highlight great strides in
ID accessibility, but also highlight numerous institutional and social factors
that contribute to the use of third-party SIM cards. While privacy concerns
contribute to the use of third-party SIM cards, third-party SIM card users are
exposed to significant security and privacy risks, including scams, financial
loss, and wrongful arrest.
