Jakarta, INTI – The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) of the Republic of Indonesia has officially temporarily suspended the operational licenses of Worldcoin and WorldID, following public reports of suspicious activity from these biometric scan-based digital services.
This decision was taken as a preventive measure to anticipate potential risks to the privacy and data security of the Indonesian people.
What are Worldcoin and WorldID?
Worldcoin is a global project that combines digital identity technology and cryptocurrencies, initiated by the company Tools for Humanity, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Through a special device called Orb, users can scan their irises to obtain a WorldID, a digital identity designed to prove that the user is a human, not a bot or artificial intelligence. In return, users are given crypto assets.
Why was Worldcoin's license suspended?
According to the Director General of Digital Space Supervision at Kemkomdigi, Alexander Sabar, there are findings that the Worldcoin service is operated by two different entities:
PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara → registered as an Electronic System Operator (PSE)
PT Terang Bulan Abadi → not registered as a PSE, but allegedly running the Worldcoin service
Alexander emphasized that the use of another legal entity's identifier for digital service operations violates legal provisions, based on:
PP No. 71 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of Electronic Systems and Transactions
Permenkominfo No. 10 of 2021 concerning Private Scope PSEs
“This non-compliance is a serious violation that can threaten the security of the national digital space,” said Alexander.
Crowds at Scanning Sites
In the midst of the freeze, social media was abuzz with photos and videos of people lining up at so-called “World building” locations in Bekasi City and Depok City. In the narrative circulating, people came to get rewards after scanning their retinas.
Kemkomdigi urges the public to:
- Do not use digital services that have not been authorized
- Immediately report if you find indications of violations through official public complaint channels
Conclusion:
The Worldcoin case is an important warning to all parties regarding the urgency of legal compliance and personal data protection in the digital ecosystem. The government continues to strengthen supervision to ensure that Indonesia's digital space remains safe, transparent and reliable.
Read More: Kemkomdigi Suspends Worldcoin & WorldID License: Beware of Retina Scan-Based Digital Services