The Ministry of Communication and Digital has confirmed that new SIM card registrations starting July 1, 2026, must use biometric data verification with facial recognition technology, and will no longer be permitted to use the National Identification Number.
The Director General of Ecosystems at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, Edwin Abdullah, said that the government implemented this provision to ensure that mobile phone number registration cannot be carried out using another person's identity.
"Starting July 1, new customer registration will be required to use biometrics," he said, as quoted in a ministry press release.
"Therefore, we ask all operators to comply with these provisions and immediately stop all activations that still use NIK and KK No. validation without biometric verification," said Edwin.
The Director General of Digital Ecosystems has sent a letter to all mobile cellular network providers urging them to immediately stop all new customer number activation processes using the NIK and Family Card Number-based validation mechanisms.
Mobile operators are also required to ensure that all new SIM card registrations are carried out using biometric data-based verification methods with facial recognition technology in accordance with Minister of Communication and Digital Regulation Number 7 of 2026.
On July 2, 2026, the Ministry of Communication and Digital wrote to the Director General of Population and Civil Registration requesting the closure of validation access using NIK and Family Card Number for the purposes of registering cellular service customers.
