Indonesia to Require Biometric Verification for SIM Card Registration

Jakarta: The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs will make biometric verification mandatory for SIM card registration following a successful 6-month voluntary rollout.
 
The announcement was made at a joint commitment event attended by Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid and mobile network operators.
 
The move comes after a trial rollout of the policy led to a significant reduction in fraudulent mobile registrations linked to cybercrimes.
 
The Ministry is also working with the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) to develop a national registration verification application. The platform will allow the public to verify the use of their National Identity Number (NIK) for SIM card registrations and block unauthorized registrations.
 
“The state must continue to safeguard consumers from digital crimes, especially those shrouded in anonymity, involving unverified phone numbers or fake NIKs,” Meutya said during a Metro TV Headline News broadcast on Friday, July 24, 2026.
 
(Jonathan Sianto)