The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital, together with the Indonesian Telecommunications Providers Association (Asosiasi Penyelenggara Telekomunikasi Seluruh Indonesia or ATSI), has announced the implementation schedule for biometric facial recognition-based Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration for new customers, which will begin on the 1st of January 2026.
However, the registration will remain voluntary in its initial phase, meaning it will not yet be mandatory and will be trialled before the policy is fully implemented on the 1st of July 2026.
“So, as of the 1st of January, 2026, people can still register using two methods: the old method or biometrics. However, as of the 1st of July, 2026, it will be fully biometric,” said the Executive Director of ATSI, Marwan O. Baasir, in Jakarta on Wednesday, 17th of December.
Baasir explained that during the initial phase, starting on the 1st of January 2026, a hybrid system will be applied. Prospective new customers will be able to choose between two methods: using their National Identification Number (Nomor Induk Kependudukan or NIK), as before, or undergoing facial biometric verification. From the 1st of July 2026, registration for new customers will be entirely biometric-based.
“This only applies to new customers; existing customers will no longer need to register,” he continued.
The Director General of the Digital Ecosystem at the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital, Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, stated that the policy represents a concrete step towards breaking the chain of digital crime, which often uses mobile numbers as a gateway. As of September 2025, the number of validated mobile phone subscribers had reached more than 332 million. However, data from the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC) recorded 383,626 accounts reported as fraudulent.
“Digital fraud losses have reached over Rp7 trillion. In fact, there are over 30 million scam calls every month, and each person receives at least one spam call per week. This is why the Ministry of Communication and Digital implemented a SIM card registration policy using facial recognition,” Abdullah added.
In response to the plan, legal practitioner David M. L. Tobing emphasised that data protection must be prioritised before the policy is widely implemented. He noted that Indonesia has a long history of data breaches across various digital platforms.
“The number of internet and mobile data users continues to grow, along with the increasing potential for crime. Biometrics are indeed necessary, but regulatory and system readiness must be truly mature,” he commented.