Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) has decided to uphold a temporary suspension of the World ID platform, barring it from operating in the country due to ongoing legal and ethical concerns over its biometric data collection practices.
Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Oversight at Komdigi, said the government’s decision is a preventive measure following a comprehensive review of World ID’s iris biometric data collection, which he stated does not fully comply with national regulations.
“The suspension remains in effect. This is a precautionary action taken to protect the public from risks related to iris biometric data collection, and follows an extensive clarification and review process,” Alexander said in an official statement released Monday (June 16).
World ID platform is operated globally by Tools For Humanity (TFH), in partnership with its local Indonesian affiliate, PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara (PT SAN).
According to Alexander, a technical evaluation of TFH’s documents, systems, and operational mechanisms revealed violations of Indonesia’s personal data protection laws and administrative obligations required of certified electronic system providers (PSEs).
Komdigi also raised ethical concerns surrounding the collection of sensitive biometric data, particularly when it targets vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, those with low digital literacy, and residents of remote or underserved regions.
To address these issues, Komdigi has ordered TFH and PT SAN to fulfill four specific obligations:
- Immediately cease all iris scan data collection and processing activities, including any processing of hashed iris data previously collected from Indonesian citizens.
- Permanently delete all iris codes and other encrypted biometric data originating from Indonesian users and stored on user devices.
- Implement comprehensive reforms to data governance, security systems, and operational procedures, with guarantees that no children’s data will be processed in the future.
- Fully comply with national regulations as a non-negotiable requirement for resuming operations in Indonesia.
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“We’ve also issued recommendations for sweeping improvements to TFH’s data governance and protection procedures, particularly the requirement to ensure no children’s data is ever processed if the company intends to continue operating in Indonesia,” he added.
Alexander emphasized that TFH’s future operations in Indonesia hinge on the company’s genuine commitment to regulatory compliance and meaningful social responsibility.
“We remain firmly committed to ensuring Indonesia’s digital space remains secure, fair, and accountable through active digital oversight,” he concluded.
(Raidi/Agung)
