Indonesia telcos challenge biometric SIM verification fees ahead of rollout

Telecommunication companies in Indonesia have urged the government to reduce or entirely waive the cost they are expected to incur for biometric face-matching as a new SIM card verification policy is set to take effect nationwide on Wednesday next week.

The telcos, acting under the banner of the Association of All Indonesian Telecommunications Operators (ATSI), have argued that the announced fee of 3,000 Indonesian rupiah (US$0.17) per verification is too high, Voice of Indonesia reports. They maintain that because this is a mandatory government initiative, the verification charge should be considerably reduced or scrapped altogether so that the companies do not pass the cost on to consumers.

ATSI Executive Director Marwan O. Baasir said the association has requested a review of the fee and that the Ministry of Communication and Digital has been in touch with the Ministry of Interior regarding the matter.

Indonesia says it is implementing the measure after months of trials and that the move has become necessary to curb a growing wave of identity theft and other criminal activities perpetrated via unverifiable phone numbers, which cost the state huge sums of money each year. Telcos are key stakeholders in this process, as seen in instances of fines in countries like Nigeria and Pakistan where companies defaulted.

With the process expected to go live across the nation from July 1, everyone buying a SIM card will have their face scanned either via a mobile app or at a physical office, after which the biometric data will be checked against the population database held by the Civil Registry Office (Dukapil). The National Identification Number or Family Card Number alone will no longer be sufficient for SIM registration.

Meanwhile, the government is already enforcing a directive requiring all those switching existing SIM cards to new phones to complete the face verification process within two hours, according to Vietnam Net.

Biometric SIM card verification is a growing phenomenon around the world, with many countries adopting the measure and citing national security and the fight against cybercrime as the principal reasons. In Nigeria, a sustained SIM registration campaign was launched in 2020 and continued until the industry regulator declared its objectives had been met in October 2025.

In the same vein, South Korea has also announced that it will implement a similar move starting next month, though it is expected to exclude foreigners residing in the country. The government says, per AJP News Agency, that the verification drive aims to curb phone-enabled financial crimes, but critics are concerned that restricting the policy to citizens only will create a regulatory gap likely to encourage illegal phone transactions among foreign residents.

Article Topics

biometric verification  |  biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  identity verification  |  Indonesia  |  SIM card registration  |  South Korea  |  Vietnam