Indonesia blocks Steam, PayPal and other services for exceeding regulatory deadline
Indonesia is blocking residents from accessing various online platforms after those services failed to meet a July 29 regulatory deadline, Reuters reports (via The Verge). Platforms affected include PayPal, Steam and Yahoo (part of Engadget's parent company, Apollo Management).
Under the country's 2020 MR5 law, companies labeled as "private electronic systems providers" had until this week to register with a government database or face an outright ban. simple. Similar to India's restrictive IT Act of 2021, MR5 gives Indonesia the power to force online platforms to remove content that the government deems illegal or a threat to public order. In cases involving "urgent" requests, the services have four hours to act.
According to Reuters, a handful of tech companies, including Google, Meta and Amazon, have rushed in recent days to meet Friday's deadline. Indonesia can restore access to some of the online services currently blocked in the country, provided they register with the government.
PayPal and Valve did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment. Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, director general of Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information, told a local news network that the government may temporarily lift restrictions on PayPal to allow users to withdraw their money.
Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch have criticized Indonesia's new content moderation rules. “[MR5] is a censorship tool that imposes unrealistic burdens on the many digital services and platforms used in Indonesia,” said Linda Lakhdhir, legal counsel for Asia at Human Rights Watch. "This poses serious risks to the privacy, freedom of expression and access to information of Indonesian Internet users."
Many Indonesians have also spoken out against the law, using hashtags like "BlokirKominfo" to voice their opposition to the government's actions. On Saturday, Pangerapan dismissed those criticisms, saying the measure would help protect internet users in the country.
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Indonesia is blocking residents from accessing various online platforms after those services failed to meet a July 29 regulatory deadline, Reuters reports (via The Verge). Platforms affected include PayPal, Steam and Yahoo (part of Engadget's parent company, Apollo Management).
Under the country's 2020 MR5 law, companies labeled as "private electronic systems providers" had until this week to register with a government database or face an outright ban. simple. Similar to India's restrictive IT Act of 2021, MR5 gives Indonesia the power to force online platforms to remove content that the government deems illegal or a threat to public order. In cases involving "urgent" requests, the services have four hours to act.
According to Reuters, a handful of tech companies, including Google, Meta and Amazon, have rushed in recent days to meet Friday's deadline. Indonesia can restore access to some of the online services currently blocked in the country, provided they register with the government.
PayPal and Valve did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment. Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, director general of Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information, told a local news network that the government may temporarily lift restrictions on PayPal to allow users to withdraw their money.
Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch have criticized Indonesia's new content moderation rules. “[MR5] is a censorship tool that imposes unrealistic burdens on the many digital services and platforms used in Indonesia,” said Linda Lakhdhir, legal counsel for Asia at Human Rights Watch. "This poses serious risks to the privacy, freedom of expression and access to information of Indonesian Internet users."
Many Indonesians have also spoken out against the law, using hashtags like "BlokirKominfo" to voice their opposition to the government's actions. On Saturday, Pangerapan dismissed those criticisms, saying the measure would help protect internet users in the country.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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