Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has identified a loophole in biometric SIM card registration that can leave buyers using numbers registered to someone else. The practice involves activating a card with an intermediary’s facial data before selling it to a customer.
The buyer may face losses if the person whose biometric data was used later unregisters the card. Although the customer has purchased and used the number, its administrative ownership does not reflect the actual user.
Why the Ownership Issue Matters
The central concern is not merely the sale of an activated SIM card, but the identity attached to it at the time of registration. A number activated under another person’s facial verification is not registered under the customer’s own identity.
Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, Director General of the Digital Ecosystem at Komdigi, said some parties were still attempting to misuse the new registration process. He said cards could be activated using one person’s face and then transferred to customers.
Komdigi has called for the registration process to be carried out directly by the genuine subscriber. Customers are expected to use their own facial data, identity card, and mobile number when completing activation.
A Shift From Population Data to Facial Verification
The biometric system replaces the earlier registration method based on the national identification number, or NIK, and family card number. Under the new process, facial photographs, a mobile number, and an identity card are used for verification.
| Registration Aspect | Previous Method | New Method |
|---|---|---|
| Main data | NIK and family card number | Facial photograph, mobile number, and identity card |
| Verification process | Population data verification | Facial biometric verification |
Subscribers can complete biometric registration through operator stores, partners, and registration platforms. That wider access makes compliance by every party in the activation chain an important part of the system.
The new arrangement is based on Regulation of Komdigi No. 7 of 2026 on the Registration of Telecommunications Service Subscribers Through Cellular Mobile Networks. The regulation provides the legal basis for the change in customer registration procedures.
Operators and Partners Face a Compliance Role
Komdigi said mobile operators, retail outlets, partners, and registration platform providers must ensure the verification process is transparent and follows the rules. The ministry considers their involvement essential because registration may be handled through multiple channels.
Edwin said compliant parties already outnumber those that do not follow the rules. He expressed hope that violations would diminish over time as the implementation improves.
The case illustrates that biometric verification depends on more than the technology itself. Its effectiveness also relies on whether the people and businesses handling registration make sure each number is linked to its real user.
For customers, the practical safeguard is to ensure that activation is completed with their own identity and biometric data. This helps prevent a situation in which a regularly used number remains under another person’s administrative control.