Telkomsel launches facial recognition for prepaid SIM registration

Indonesian operator Telkomsel has rolled out facial recognition as a mandatory verification step for new prepaid SIM registrations, following a trial period of around 18 months.

The system compares a customer’s face to their national ID data to confirm their identity before activating a SIM. Telkomsel says the move is aimed at reducing SIM-related fraud and improving compliance with Indonesia’s existing registration rules, which already require users to link numbers to official identity documents.