Photocopying of Electronic ID Cards Criticised as Population Administration Bill Addresses Digital Identity
The Expert Discussion Forum and Consignment for the Drafting of the Academic Paper and Draft Bill on Population Administration (RUU Adminduk), organised by the Secretariat General of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) at Hotel Harris Suites FX Sudirman in Jakarta, proved to be a dynamic affair.
Experts participating in the forum criticised the prevailing practice of photocopying electronic identity cards (KTP-el), warning that it risks over-collection of personal data and is vulnerable to misuse. The issue was raised as one of the most prominent concerns during the discussion, with hotels and service providers frequently requiring KTP-el photocopies from members of the public.
The Director General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Teguh Setyabudi, stated that the revised Population Administration Bill would prohibit the duplication of population documents. According to Teguh, the current Population Administration Law is no longer fully relevant to contemporary developments, and Indonesia must adapt to the era of digital government.
Under the proposed revision, identity verification would be conducted through digital scanning or encrypted systems rather than manual photocopying. Third parties would be barred from storing or duplicating population data.
Teguh emphasised that Digital Population Identity (Identitas Kependudukan Digital, or IKD) would become the key to public services. The IKD is a digital form of identification stored on a smartphone, displaying the KTP-el photograph and a QR code that can be scanned for identity verification purposes.
Since January 2026, the verification of population documents such as electronic identity cards and family cards can only be conducted through the IKD application.
The forum also addressed broader issues including data protection frameworks, sanctions for violations, and the implementation of a single identity number policy as part of the comprehensive overhaul of Indonesia's population administration system.
Experts participating in the forum criticised the prevailing practice of photocopying electronic identity cards (KTP-el), warning that it risks over-collection of personal data and is vulnerable to misuse. The issue was raised as one of the most prominent concerns during the discussion, with hotels and service providers frequently requiring KTP-el photocopies from members of the public.
The Director General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Teguh Setyabudi, stated that the revised Population Administration Bill would prohibit the duplication of population documents. According to Teguh, the current Population Administration Law is no longer fully relevant to contemporary developments, and Indonesia must adapt to the era of digital government.
Under the proposed revision, identity verification would be conducted through digital scanning or encrypted systems rather than manual photocopying. Third parties would be barred from storing or duplicating population data.
Teguh emphasised that Digital Population Identity (Identitas Kependudukan Digital, or IKD) would become the key to public services. The IKD is a digital form of identification stored on a smartphone, displaying the KTP-el photograph and a QR code that can be scanned for identity verification purposes.
Since January 2026, the verification of population documents such as electronic identity cards and family cards can only be conducted through the IKD application.
The forum also addressed broader issues including data protection frameworks, sanctions for violations, and the implementation of a single identity number policy as part of the comprehensive overhaul of Indonesia's population administration system.