inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Communication and Digital guarantees the security of data for people who undergo facial biometric verification when registering a new mobile phone number.
Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, Director General of Digital Ecosystems at the ministry, stated that this is because mobile operators do not store data from the biometric verification system.
"No mobile operator stores data. Only the Population and Civil Registry has the right to store your data when using biometric verification, not the mobile operator. The mobile operator does not store your facial data," explained Edwin on Friday (5/29/2026).
He explained that the biometric verification process can be completed at mobile operator outlets or through their respective websites and applications. For example, Telkomsel uses myTelkomsel, XL uses myXL, and Indosat uses myIM3.
The role of mobile operators in verifying biometrics for new mobile phone number registration is to encrypt facial data.
The facial data is then sent to the Population and Civil Registry to be checked for similarity. Once the data is submitted, Population and Civil Registry will respond to determine whether it matches.
Once deemed appropriate, the number should be active and ready to be used for its user's telecommunications needs.
According to the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs' evaluation, after nearly five months of trials of biometric verification for new mobile phone number registration, this system was found to be more effective than identity verification using the National Identity Number (NIK) and Family Card (NOK) number.
According to Director General Edwin, the facial biometric verification process is very fast, taking approximately 1-2 minutes per verification, even though it is facilitated by different mobile operators.
With fast verification results, the wider national implementation of biometric registration for new mobile phone numbers should be smooth. This system will be effective in Indonesia starting July 1, 2026.
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