OpenAI CEO Sam Altman\u2019s digital identity project, World, formerly known as Worldcoin, faces challenges in Indonesia after local regulators temporarily suspended its registration certificates.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital (Komdigi) has halted the Electronic System Operator Certificate Registration (TDPSE) for World and World ID over suspicious activity and alleged registration violations, the ministry announced<\/a> on May 4.<\/p>\n After the suspension, Komdigi plans to summon World\u2019s local subsidiaries, PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, to provide clarification on the alleged violations, it stated.<\/p>\n According to a preliminary investigation, World\u2019s PT Terang Bulan Abadi was allegedly operating without TDPSE, while PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara \u2014 the subsidiary World was using for providing its services \u2014 is allegedly involved in legal misrepresentation.<\/p>\n In the statement, Komdigi emphasized that all digital service providers in Indonesia must receive electronic registration in accordance with local laws.<\/p>\n Additionally, using another entity\u2019s registration is considered a major breach of Indonesian digital operations law, the authority noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWorldcoin services are recorded using TDPSE in the name of another legal entity, namely PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara,\u201d Alexander Sabar, the Komdigi\u2019s director general for digital supervision, said in the announcement, adding:<\/p>\n \u201cNoncompliance with registration obligations and the use of the identity of another legal entity to carry out digital services is a serious violation.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Sabar, World\u2019s temporary suspension in Indonesia is a measure taken to prevent potential risks to the community.<\/p>\n He mentioned that the digital ministry is committed to overseeing the digital ecosystem fairly and strictly to ensure the security of the national digital space.<\/p>\n Alexander Sabar is the head of Indonesia\u2019s newly established Digital Space Monitoring Directorate General. Source: Komdigi<\/em><\/p>\n Sabar said proper supervision would require active participation from the community. \u201cWe invite the public to help maintain a safe and trusted digital space for all citizens,\u201d he said. \u201cKomdigi also appeals to the public to remain vigilant against unauthorized digital services, and to immediately report suspected violations through the official public complaint channel.\u201d<\/p>\n The community response has been divided over the action by Komdigi.<\/p>\n \u201cGood job Indonesia \u2014 at least somebody is standing up to that scam,\u201d one Reddit user wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong><\/em>From digital identity to outer space: Projects push crypto use cases<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Others fired back, hinting at potential benefits stemming from World\u2019s offering in Indonesia for the general public.<\/p>\n \u201cIf giving up your iris biometrics means you can feed your loved ones for a few weeks, that might be a trade worth making. In the end, it all depends on what matters most to you,\u201d another Redditor said<\/a>.<\/p>\n World\u2019s latest news from Indonesia follows World\u2019s debut in the United States<\/a> in May 2025, with the platform rolling out its digital identity tech in six cities initially.<\/p>\n A number of global regulators were pushing back on World\u2019s operations<\/a> since its launch in July 2023<\/a>, with governments like Germany<\/a>, Kenya and Brazil expressing concerns over potential risks<\/a> to the security of biometric data passed by users.<\/p>\nIndonesian law requires registration by all digital service providers<\/h2>\n
Community action required<\/h2>\n