Observer proposes biometric SIM registration also apply to existing numbers

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Telecommunications observer Heru Sutadi has proposed that the government not only apply biometric registration rules for new telecommunications service subscribers, but also gradually require data updates for users of long-active mobile numbers. “The current biometric policy is mostly applied to new SIM registrations. Meanwhile, millions of old numbers still use data that has not been updated,” he said when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to him, the government needs to prepare a gradual biometric-based re-registration programme for existing subscribers so that all customer data can be updated and verified using the same mechanism. If data updates are not carried out, the registration data for old mobile numbers cannot be refreshed. Such a condition creates the risk of identity misuse by telecommunications service users who registered their SIM cards using the old mechanism. He noted that in several cases, SIM cards have been destroyed or changed ownership, yet the numbers remain active on instant messaging applications and are exploited by other people. “This loophole is often exploited for fraud,” said the Executive Director of the Information and Communication Technology Institute. He therefore encouraged the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs to improve coordination with digital platform providers and instant messaging applications to build a user data synchronisation mechanism. According to Heru, accounts linked to phone numbers that have been inactive for a certain period need to be re-verified or deactivated to prevent misuse. He stated that biometric-based SIM card registration is a good step to improve telecommunications service security, but it must be accompanied by other policies to eradicate digital crime. “Eradicating digital fraud requires a more comprehensive approach, starting from updating customer data, protecting personal data, cooperating with digital platforms, to increasing public literacy,” Heru said. The implementation of the new rule is intended to protect the public from mobile number misuse and digital crimes such as online fraud, spam calls, and phishing. Director General of Digital Ecosystem at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs Edwin Hidayat Abdullah said that the implementation of the rule will be focused on new number registrations first. According to him, the government needs to evaluate infrastructure readiness and system reliability before deciding whether a similar mechanism will also be applied to existing telecommunications subscribers.