Understand BM Cellphone Blacklist And Whitelist Blocking Schemes

Smartphone illustration (unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) together with cellular operators have conducted trials to block Black Market (BM) cell phones based on International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers some time ago. According to Kominfo, there are two methods used in this trial.

The two methods of blocking BM cell phones are whitelist and blacklist. The choice of the two methods in this trial aims to find out which one is more effective for regulatory issues to eradicate illegal cell phones without making the public worry.

Then what is the whitelist and blacklist method? Put simply, all BM cell phone owners can still get a signal and enjoy cellular service for a few days after the device is turned on for the first time. When the IMEI of the device is identified as illegal by the system, the cellphone will receive a blocked notification and all telecommunication services, be it telephone, internet, or SMS, will be cut off.

Check Your IMEI Starting Now! https://t.co/g1OJiuIxVg

- Ministry of Communication and Information (@kemkominfo) February 11, 2020

For the whitelist method or preventive preventive measures, for customers of cellular phone operators. In this scheme, mobile phones whose IMEI is not registered in the data base of the Ministry of Industry will be deactivated from cellular services from the start. Only legal equipment, aka non-BM that can signal to receive telecommunications services.

On the other hand, the blacklist mechanism applies 'normally on' meaning that all BM and legal cellphone owners can still enjoy internet services after buying a cellphone or when it is turned on.

However, after the cellphone is activated and identified by the system within a few days, the cellphone with an illegal IMEI will be blocked immediately. The blocking covers all telecommunication services including internet access, SMS and telephone. As a result, these illegal devices are totally unable to operate like a legal cellphone.

For information, both whitelist and blacklist methods will retrieve IMEI data for all BM cellphones from the SIBINa system which is managed by the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin).

Meanwhile, Kominfo will also use a tool called Equipment Identity Registration (EIR), which is equipped with data in the form of MSISDN (mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number), IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and user identities stored by cellular operators. Both systems are used by the government to carry out verification prior to blocking.

The EIR system is used so that the government can accurately detect users to avoid duplicate IMEIs. This double IMEI occurs due to the phenomenon of zombie IMEI or cloning IMEI. This phenomenon causes one IMEI number to be active at the same time.

The government also revealed that blocking these illegal devices was not a mere advantage, but they prioritized the Indonesian people in using cellphones that failed and resulted in multiple losses.