TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government and cellular operators agreed on adopting the whitelist scheme to control the distribution of illegal phones in the country based on the device's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers. With this scheme, illegal gadgets would not be blocked. However, illegal gadgets will not be able to receive signal or internet access from operators.

"The whitelist scheme is a preventive way to control IMEI so that people know about their gadgets' legality before purchasing one," said Ismail as the Director-General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Information Technology (SDPPI) in the Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) Ministry building, Jakarta on Friday, February 28, 2020.

Ismail announced that the policy will take effect starting on April 18, 2020.

According to Ismail, the decision was made following the meeting of the Kominfo Ministry along with the Trade Ministry, Finance Ministry, Industry Ministry, and cellular operators. He asserted that the IMEI regulation was part of the government's commitment to curb the distribution of illegal phones based on IMEI since it beset the public, industry, operators, and the state.

Therefore, Ismail called on the people to purchase legal gadgets and be critical and smart by checking the device’s IMEI numbers through the Industry Ministry’s website imei.kemenperin.go.id before buying ones via offline or online stores.

Since February 17, 2020, the government and the cellular operators, including PT Telekomunikasi Seluler and PT XL Axiata, ran a trial on the IMEI-based restriction of illegal or black market (BM) smartphones.

CAESAR AKBAR | BISNIS