On July 19, Shine Liberia, an online blog, claimed in a Facebook post that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) had introduced a new rule stating that “stolen phone may not work on any GSM network or internet in Liberia.”
The claim surfaced amid growing public concern over the reported increase in mobile phone theft across the country. It quickly gained traction online, with many questioning whether such a rule had actually been introduced. The Claim Shine Liberia posted: “Breaking news! LTA new rules say, Stole phone may not work on any GSM network or internet in Lib.”
Rating Justification
To verify this claim, Local Voices Liberia first reviewed the official communication channels of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority but found no announcement or regulation supporting the claim.
We then contacted LTA Commissioner Patrick Honnah, who clarified that no such rule is currently in effect.
However, Commissioner Honnah explained that the LTA is developing a draft regulation that would allow stolen mobile phones to be blocked from accessing GSM networks in Liberia.
According to Honnah, the proposed system would use the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, a unique 15-digit identifier assigned to every GSM mobile device. Once a phone is reported stolen, its IMEI could be entered into a national database and automatically blocked from connecting to mobile networks, making the device unusable within Liberia.
According to KORE Wireless, the IMEI is a unique identifier assigned to GSM devices and is independent of the subscriber’s SIM card. Mobile network operators, law enforcement agencies, and authorized manufacturers can use the IMEI to identify and, where permitted, block or track lost or stolen devices.
Commissioner Honnah said the proposed regulation is still undergoing stakeholder consultations involving mobile network operators, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), consumer groups, and other relevant institutions. The regulation must complete this consultative process and receive formal approval from the LTA before it can be implemented.
Conclusion
The claim that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority has introduced a new rule preventing stolen phones from working on GSM networks or the internet in Liberia is Mostly Correct.
While the LTA has confirmed it is developing a regulation to allow stolen phones to be blocked by their IMEI numbers, the regulation has not yet been approved or implemented. Therefore, there is currently no existing rule that automatically disables stolen phones on Liberian mobile networks.
