inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Communication and Digital officially announced that registration of mobile phone SIM cards using facial biometric recognition will be mandatory in Indonesia starting July 1, 2026.
Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, Director General of Digital Ecosystem at the ministry, stated that the decision was made after the successful results of the five-month trial and positive public response.
"For biometric SIM registration, new registrations can now begin fully nationwide. There will be no more leeway as of July 1, 2026," said Director General Edwin, Friday (5/29/2026).
After nearly five months of conducting the facial biometric trial for mobile phone SIM registration, Edwin stated that evaluation results show that the systems used by each cellular operator, namely Telkomsel, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), and XL Smart, are reliable.
According to data from the Indonesian Telecommunications Providers Association (ATSI), from January to April 2026, 1.4 million new numbers were registered using the facial biometric verification system. On average, approximately 300,000 people acquire new phone numbers each month.
Edwin stated that the biometric process, particularly at mobile operator outlets, has demonstrated positive implementation, based on a review by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology.
He noted that no complaints or objections have been filed by people who have purchased new numbers using this verification system.
In fact, trials over the past few months have shown that the process takes less than one to two minutes and is faster than the system of registering new numbers using the National Identity Number (NIK) on a National ID Card (KTP) and Family Card (NOK).
He further stated that the use of biometric verification in SIM card registration is a way for the telecommunications industry to protect the Indonesian public from the threat of harmful crimes such as fraud, phishing, and identity theft.
In addition to protecting the public, Edwin stated that the use of this technology also strengthens public trust in telecommunications providers.
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