Indonesia suspends World Network, WorldID operations over legal violations

Indonesia’s digital ministry has frozen World Network’s local operating license after authorities found the project was operating under a registration belonging to a different legal entity.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital — also known as Komdigi — has temporarily suspended the registration certificate of World Network, formerly Worldcoin, and WorldID services in Indonesia amid public complaints about suspicious activities related to the platforms.

In a Sunday press release, Komdigi said it will summon PT. Terang Bulan Abadi and PT. Sandina Abadi Nusantara, two local companies linked to the operation of World Network and WorldID in Indonesia, as a measure to “prevent potential risks to the public.”

Early findings show that PT. Terang Bulan Abadi is not officially registered to run digital services. Worldcoin was also found using a registration that belongs to a different company.

Alexander Sabar, director general of Digital Space Oversight, noted that non-compliance with the registration obligation and the use of another legal entity’s identity to operate a digital service “is a serious violation,” adding that Komdigi urges the public to remain “alert to unauthorized digital services and to immediately report suspected violations through the official public complaint channels.”

Crypto.news reached out to World Network and we’ll update the article if we hear back.

Brazilian regulators have earlier found that World Network may have influenced user consent by offering financial incentives for collecting biometric data.

According to Brazil’s data protection watchdog, Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados, the practice could compromise the validity of consent, as the financial compensation offered — such as its native ecosystem token Worldcoin (WLD) — may unduly influence individuals, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances.