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Indonesia plans biometric SIM card registration by July 2026
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) will require all new SIM card registrations to use facial recognition biometrics from July 1, 2026.
A six-month transition period begins in January 2026, during which biometric registration will be optional for new cards.
The new rule aims to address rising digital crime, including scam calls and spoofing.
Komdigi said the regulation is still being finalized, after public consultation and coordination with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.
The Indonesian Telecommunication Providers Association (ATSI) supports the policy, and will conduct a six-month trial to assess readiness.
ATSI said the transition period allows for both the existing and biometric systems to be used, with a full switch if no major issues arise.
🔗 Source: Bisnis Tekno
🧠 Food for thought
Implications, context, and why it matters.
Biometric verification will match against Indonesia’s national ID database, raising questions on accuracy standards and data protection
- Mobile users will register with their National Identity Number (NIK) and a facial scan that connects to Dukcapil, Indonesia’s civil registration agency that runs the national ID database 1. Dukcapil’s biometric system stores more than 200 million records 2.
- Telcos will verify against Dukcapil rather than keep biometric images or templates, which the government views as safer 1.
- Cybersecurity experts warn that biometric data is sensitive and permanent 1. A leak would carry heavy risk, so they urge creation of a Personal Data Protection supervisory agency before rollout 1.
- The draft on data security, facial recognition standards and enforcement remains in harmonization, a cross-ministry alignment process 13. Open questions include accuracy thresholds, liveness checks and consent rules 13.
Identity verification providers with existing Dukcapil integration can partner with Indonesian telcos ahead of the 2026 deadline
- From January to early July 2026, operators get about six months to add facial recognition for new sign-ups 1. That will spark demand for identity verification SDKs, liveness detection technology (to prevent spoofing) and biometric kiosk hardware 1.
- Indonesia is buying a new Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) that merges legacy systems and will plug into an identity verification plus digital Know Your Customer (KYC) platform, with completion targeted for April 2027 2.
- Vendors with national-scale biometric deployments serving more than 10 million people can file Letters of Interest by December 23, 2025 for the ABIS upgrade contract 2.
- System integrators that connect operator infrastructure with Dukcapil’s database can move first, since operators must comply yet lack shared technical procedures for biometric registration 3.
