TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) of the Republic of Indonesia has frozen the operational activities of the World App or Worldcoin cryptocurrency management application. The platform went viral on social media as hundreds of people were willing to queue to scan their retinas in exchange for cash rewards ranging from Rp200,000 to Rp800,000.
The Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Viada Hafid, emphasized the reasons for freezing the operations of Worldcoin due to public input and the discovery of several permits that did not adhere to procedures. In addition, the retina scanning practice raised questions about the security of biometric data and the legality of the application's operations.
"Regarding Worldcoin, for now, it is based on public input, and also on the initial finding that certain permits are indeed not in place," said Meutya in Regency of Bekasi, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Meutya admitted to not having had direct meetings with the World App yet. However, Meutya confirmed that her ministry has scheduled a meeting in the near future, next week.
This meeting aims to delve deeper into the legality of the application and the purpose of using retina scanning technology. "So, from there, we will issue a summons, possibly next week. From there, we will see what happens," she said.
Based on Komdigi's findings, Meutya continued, World App not only encountered problems in Indonesia but also faced issues in other countries. Meutya stated that this phenomenon has raised global concerns about the protection of personal data.
"This phenomenon is not only domestic, but it also exists in several countries, and we have seen how other countries have taken firm policies against this application," she said.
Meutya also added that the ministry will continue to freeze World App until clear explanations are obtained. "If it cannot be explained, then we will terminate it," she emphasized.
For information, Worldcoin is a cryptocurrency project created by Chief Executive Officer OpenAI Sam Altman. World ID is also part of the Worldcoin project, which uses biometric data as user identity.
According to Government Regulation Number 71 of 2019 regarding the Organization of Electronic Systems and Transactions, and Minister of Communication and Information Regulation Number 10 of 2021 regarding the Organization of Private Electronic Systems, every digital service provider must be officially registered.
The Director General of Digital Space Supervision, Alexander Sabar, stated that the freezing was carried out after receiving reports about suspicious activities on the platform. "This freezing is a preventive measure to prevent potential risks to the public," he said in a written statement on Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Alexander ensured that his institution is committed to overseeing the digital ecosystem fairly and firmly to ensure the security of the national digital space. Active participation from the public is also crucial for such supervision.
Komdigi, he continued, invites the public to help maintain a safe and trustworthy digital space. The public is also asked to remain vigilant against unauthorized digital services. "They must immediately report suspicions of violations through official public complaint channels," said Alexander.
Antara and M. Faiz Zaki contributed to the writing of this article.
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