en.malanginspirasi.com – The Indonesian government will implement SIM card registration using biometric technology nationwide starting July 1, 2026.
The implementation of the policy is an effort to strengthen public protection amidst increasing digital-based economic and social activities.
The Director General of Digital Ecosystems at the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi), Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, conveyed this subject in a press conference in Jakarta on Friday (May 29, 2026).
The government believes that the rapid development of Indonesia’s digital economy has also increased the risk of cybercrime, fraud, and identity theft in online transactions.
Therefore, a biometric-based SIM registration system using facial recognition is considered a crucial step to increase security and public trust in interacting in the digital space.
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“Starting July 1, 2026, there will be no more leniency. New SIM registration will be mandatory using biometrics nationwide,” said Edwin.
The government notes that internet and cellular network usage in Indonesia continues to increase.
Internet access now reaches approximately 81 percent of Indonesia’s territory, while cellular service penetration has reached approximately 97 percent.
These conditions have made people’s activities, from communication to economic transactions, increasingly dependent on digital platforms and mobile phones.
On the other hand, technological developments such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) also bring new challenges, particularly related to data security and the potential for digital crime.
According to the government, SIM registration, which only uses the National Identification Number (NIK) and Family Card (KK) numbers, is no longer secure.
This is due to the numerous cases of identity theft for illegal SIM card activation.
The government cited the example of a case uncovered in East Java, where SIM card activation was carried out using illegally obtained e-KTP and KK data.
This practice turns phone numbers untrustworthy and vulnerable to fraudulent misuse.
Therefore, since early 2026, the government, in collaboration with cellular operators, has begun piloting biometric registration.
So far, Telkomsel, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, and XL Smart have implemented facial recognition systems at their service outlets over the past five months.
