Facial Recognition is a Requirement for SIM Registration, Komdigi Threatens Operator Sanctions
New Policy for Cellular Customer Registration in Indonesia
The Indonesian government now requires all cellular operators to use a face recognition based biometric verification system in every new customer registration. This policy came into force on July 1, 2026, as part of efforts to improve security and prevent misuse of identity in the use of cellular numbers.
monitoring and enforcing policies
As part of the implementation of the policy, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) asked the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) to stop the Population Identification Number (NIK) validation service and Family Card Number (KK) which was previously used in the SIM card registration process. This decision was taken after monitoring by the Directorate General of Digital Ecosystem Komdigi with the Directorate General of Dukcapil on July 1, 2026.
The results of the examination show that there are still a number of cellular operators who serve new customer registration only by utilizing the validation of the NIK and No. KK without going through a biometric verification process. This is the main reason for the government to issue this new policy.
the role of the director general of digital ecosystems
The Director General of the Komdigi Digital Ecosystem, Edwin Abdullah, emphasized that the government wants to close the gap in identity abuse in cellular number registration. He stated that starting July 1, new customer registration must use biometrics. Therefore, his party asked all operators to comply with this provision and immediately stop all activations that still use NIK and No. KK validation without biometric verification.
Edwin explained that the application of biometric registration is not only a change in administrative mechanisms, but also an important step in improving the security of the national telecommunications ecosystem. “Biometric registration is an important foundation for preventing identity abuse, digital fraud, and various forms of cyber crime,” he said.
supervision and sanctions
To ensure that the rules are implemented, the Directorate General of Digital Ecosystems has sent letters to all cellular operators to immediately stop the process of activating new customers who still rely on the validation of NIK and No.KK. All registrations are required to use biometric verification in accordance with the provisions in the Regulation of the Minister of Komdigi Number 7 of 2026.
A day later, on July 2, 2026, Komdigi also sent a letter to the Directorate General of Dukcapil so that access to validation of NIK and No.KK for cellular subscriber registration needs was closed. This step is intended so that there will be no more registration mechanism outside the biometric system that has been set nationally.
Mobile operator compliance
Edwin stressed that the successful implementation of this policy relies heavily on the compliance of all cellular service providers. “We invite all operators to make community protection a priority. Compliance with biometric registration is not only fulfilling regulations, but also a form of shared responsibility to build a safer and more reliable Indonesian digital ecosystem,” said Edwin.
Sudden inspections and findings
On July 3, 2026, Edwin together with the ranks of the Directorate General of Digital Ecosystem conducted a surprise inspection (Sidak) to a shopping center in Central Jakarta to ensure the implementation of biometric registration by cellular operators. From the inspection results, only one operator has implemented registration using biometric verification. Meanwhile, the other two operators can still activate new numbers only by using NIK and No.KK. The officer also found a SIM card that had been activated and ready to use.
Komdigi stated that he would continue to supervise the implementation of biometric registration throughout Indonesia. If there are still operators who activate new customers without going through a biometric verification process in accordance with the provisions, the government will provide administrative sanctions as regulated in the applicable laws and regulations.
