Indonesia blocks Yahoo, Paypal and other gambling sites after failing to sign up to new licensing rules
Indonesia on Sunday blocked web search engine Yahoo and fintech firm PayPal Holdings PYPL along with several gaming sites after they failed to follow its licensing rules , reported Reuters.
What happened: At the end of 2020, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information introduced new rules under which companies were required to register to ensure that Internet service providers protect consumer data and that online content is used in a "positive and productive" manner.
The law also gives authorities sweeping powers to compel giants like Meta Platforms Inc META, Alphabet Inc's GOOGL GOOG Google, Twitter Inc TWTR and others to release the data of certain users and remove content deemed illegal or "disturbing public order" within four hours if urgent — otherwise, 24 hours.
The deadline for registering with the authorities was July 20 at midnight, after which the government imposed a general ban on the services of companies that had not registered.
Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior official with the Indonesian Ministry of Communications, told the publication that websites that have been blocked for violating the rules include Yahoo, PayPal and sites from games like Steam, Dota2, Counter-Strike and EpicGames, among others.
Also read: China conducted "live-fire exercises" off its coast opposite Taiwan
However, following an internet backlash, Indonesia has temporarily opened up access to PayPal to allow users to access their money. Temporary access will be open for five working days only. "I hope this gives enough time for users to migrate, get their money and find other services," a ministry official said, adding that there has been no communication from PayPal yet. /p>
The ministry said the ban would be lifted if the company subscribed to the country's licensing rules.
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© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Indonesia on Sunday blocked web search engine Yahoo and fintech firm PayPal Holdings PYPL along with several gaming sites after they failed to follow its licensing rules , reported Reuters.
What happened: At the end of 2020, the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Information introduced new rules under which companies were required to register to ensure that Internet service providers protect consumer data and that online content is used in a "positive and productive" manner.
The law also gives authorities sweeping powers to compel giants like Meta Platforms Inc META, Alphabet Inc's GOOGL GOOG Google, Twitter Inc TWTR and others to release the data of certain users and remove content deemed illegal or "disturbing public order" within four hours if urgent — otherwise, 24 hours.
The deadline for registering with the authorities was July 20 at midnight, after which the government imposed a general ban on the services of companies that had not registered.
Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior official with the Indonesian Ministry of Communications, told the publication that websites that have been blocked for violating the rules include Yahoo, PayPal and sites from games like Steam, Dota2, Counter-Strike and EpicGames, among others.
Also read: China conducted "live-fire exercises" off its coast opposite Taiwan
However, following an internet backlash, Indonesia has temporarily opened up access to PayPal to allow users to access their money. Temporary access will be open for five working days only. "I hope this gives enough time for users to migrate, get their money and find other services," a ministry official said, adding that there has been no communication from PayPal yet. /p>
The ministry said the ban would be lifted if the company subscribed to the country's licensing rules.
Find out more Benzinga coverage in Europe and Asia innext < em class="core-block">this link
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Fintech Focus Newsletter
Your update on what's happening in the fintech space. Keep up to date with news, ratings, mergers, funding and events. Sign up today!
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