Update (May 6, 9:30 UTC: This article has been updated to add comments by World developer Tools for Humanity.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s digital identity project, World, formerly known as Worldcoin, faces challenges in Indonesia after local regulators temporarily suspended its registration certificates.
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 on May 4.
After the suspension, Komdigi plans to summon World’s local subsidiaries, PT Terang Bulan Abadi and PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara, to clarify the allegations, it said.
According to a preliminary investigation, World’s PT Terang Bulan Abadi was allegedly operating without TDPSE, while PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara — the subsidiary World used for providing services — was allegedly involved in legal misrepresentation.
Indonesian law requires registration by all digital service providers
In the statement, Komdigi emphasized that all digital service providers in Indonesia must receive electronic registration in accordance with local laws.
Additionally, using another entity’s registration is considered a major breach of Indonesian digital operations law, the authority noted.
“Worldcoin services are recorded using TDPSE in the name of another legal entity, namely PT Sandina Abadi Nusantara,” Alexander Sabar, the Komdigi’s director general for digital supervision, said in the announcement, adding:
“Noncompliance with registration obligations and the use of the identity of another legal entity to carry out digital services is a serious violation.”
Community action required
According to Sabar, World was temporarily suspended to prevent potential risks to the community.
He said that the Digital Ministry is committed to overseeing the ecosystem fairly and strictly to ensure the security of the space.
Sabar said proper supervision would require active participation from the community. “We invite the public to help maintain a safe and trusted digital space for all citizens,” he said. “Komdigi also appeals to the public to remain vigilant against unauthorized digital services, and to immediately report suspected violations through the official public complaint channel.”
The community response has been divided over Komdigi’s action.
“Good job Indonesia — at least somebody is standing up to that scam,” one Reddit user wrote.
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Others fired back, hinting at potential benefits stemming from World’s offering in Indonesia.
“If 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,” another Redditor said.
World paused services voluntarily
A spokesperson for Tools for Humanity (TFH), the developer behind the Worldcoin project, told Cointelegraph that World paused its proof-of-human verification services in Indonesia voluntarily to seek clarification on the terms of the relevant licenses and permits.
“We look forward to continuing the constructive and supportive conversations we’ve had over the past year with the government ministries concerned,” the representative said, adding:
“If there are any shortcomings or misunderstandings with our permits we will certainly address them.”
The spokesperson also mentioned that new technologies often face skepticism before gaining acceptance, as seen with the mobile phone, automobile and computer, which ultimately proved beneficial to society.
“This is why World has been very careful in introducing TFH to Indonesia, engaging in deep and lengthy discussions with the government, making sure that we complied with all existing regulations and even informing the public through press conferences, public events and educational campaigns, before we launched our service,” the representative added.
At the time of publication, World has around 850 Orb locations worldwide, according to its official website.
World’s latest news from Indonesia follows its debut in the United States in May 2025, with the platform rolling out its digital identity tech in six cities.
Several global regulators have pushed back on World’s operations since its launch in July 2023, with governments like Germany, Kenya and Brazil expressing concerns over potential risks to the security of users’ biometric data.
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