Indonesia Trials Face Recognition for SIM Registration to Curb Scams

Indonesia’s government has begun a facial recognition SIM card registration trial to strengthen digital identity security in the telecom sector. The pilot, run by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) in collaboration with Telkomsel, shows how new mobile subscribers can be registered by matching their face biometrics against the national population database.

The system includes an on-site liveness detection step compliant with ISO 30107 anti-spoofing standards, ensuring that the person enrolling a prepaid SIM is physically present and real. The initiative targets a rise in SIM fraud and spam schemes in Indonesia, where criminals have exploited gaps in ID number-based registration.

Komdigi officials cited growing incidents of illegal SIM registrations using stolen NIK and family card numbers, which have enabled anonymous scams. The biometric approach seeks to establish more reliable “one person, one SIM” verification, following similar steps taken in Thailand to require face scans for SIM activation.

At Telkomsel’s GraPARI center in Jakarta, officials demonstrated that capturing a customer’s live face and matching it to the government ID registry can validate identity within seconds. Telkomsel, which began exploring face-based SIM registration last year, said the system supports Know Your Customer standards and will help reduce fraud and identity misuse in the mobile ecosystem.

If the pilot succeeds, Indonesia plans to expand biometric SIM registration nationwide in stages. Regulators say the move could sharply reduce SIM-related scams, improve compliance, and build public trust in telecom security.

Sources: VOI News, Antara News

–

By the ID Tech Editorial Team