Jakarta. Indonesia’s biometric-based SIM activations mark a new chapter in the country’s efforts to counter scams, although an analyst has warned Jakarta against seeing it as an instant cure.

All new SIM card subscribers must now undergo facial recognition. In the past, people had to submit their identity card number (NIK) and family card. This switch has been under trial runs since January, before it effectively kicked in on July 1. At least 6.8 million newly activated SIM cards have now gone live via this new system.

Telecommunications expert Heru Sutadi sees that the policy has given Jakarta extra ammo in curbing scams. The same goes for its fight against online gambling, whose transactions nationwide hit around Rp 286 trillion ($15.9 billion) in 2025.

“But don’t expect this policy to automatically eliminate online scams or gambling. The scammers’ modus operandi is constantly evolving. Biometrics only gives us a single layer of protection,” Heru told the Jakarta Globe.

The win rate against scammers hinges on whether Jakarta can protect the digital ecosystem as a whole. The fact that the biometrics are only mandatory for new SIM cards means that hundreds of millions of other existing numbers remain underprotected, according to Heru.

“We should gradually re-register biometrics for all numbers, including the older subscribers. Jakarta should work with WhatsApp, among others, on re-verifying or deactivating accounts with inactive numbers. The highly sensitive nature [of the facial biometrics data] also means that ensuring security is a must.”

Indonesia suspects that today’s criminals are taking advantage of NIKs from data breaches happening even a decade ago. If leaked, it can give criminals a chance to apply for online loans and use the money to gamble on illicit sites.

“NIKs shall only be used by the respective owners,” Communications Minister Meutya Hafid said.

“We prohibit the operators from storing the [biometrics] data. It’s restricted to the civil registry office Dukcapil for cross-checking purposes.”

New numbers will become active once Dukcapil declares that the data matches their records.

Beyond biometrics, the ministry has taken down over 3 million websites and content linked to online gambling since October 2024. They have received at least 85,000 reports on phone numbers allegedly used by scammers.

All three operators — Telkomsel, Indosat, and XL Smart — have begun following the biometrics rule.

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