picture: borneo.network
JAKARTA-Despite warnings from the Ministry of Communication and Information, a number of electronic system providers (PSE) operating in Indonesia have been officially blocked by the Indonesian government. This includes the Yahoo search engine, the PayPal payment company, and several well-known gaming sites for not complying with applicable laws, said a senior official from the Ministry of Communication and Information on Saturday (30/7/2022).
The Indonesian government's decisive action to block a number of PSE platforms has also triggered strong reactions from internet users in Indonesia, who have posted protests on social media.
The government has blocked these PSEs for violating the registration obligations based on the Minister of Communication and Information Regulation No. 5 of 2020 on Electronic System Providers (PSE) in the Private Sector.
Some technology companies have registered themselves, a few days before the deadline, which was even extended until Friday by the Indonesian government, including Alphabet Inc, Facebook Meta Basis Inc, Instagram and WhatsApp and Amazon.com Inc.
Samuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior official at the Ministry of Communication and Information, as quoted by kompas.com, explained that there are currently 8 PSEs that have been blocked, including:
- Yahoo
- PayPal
- Epic Games (game distribution platform)
- Steam (game distribution platform)
- Dota (game)
- Counter Strike (game)
- Origin (EA)
- Xandr.com
PayPal, the parent equity company of Yahoo, Apollo Global Management, and US game developer Valve Corporation, which operates Steam, Dota, and Counter-Strike, did not immediately respond or comment. Reuters reported that EpicGames could not be contacted for confirmation.
Meanwhile, the hashtag "BlokirKominfo" (block the Ministry of Communication, Epic Game, and PayPal) became viral on Indonesian Twitter, with various comments. According to them, the Indonesian government's action has harmed the online gaming industry in Indonesia and also harmed freelancers who transact using PayPal.
In an interview on Metro TV, Pangerapan explained that the government will look for ways for some people to withdraw their savings from PayPal, including reopening access to its website for a short time.
The Indonesian authorities have stated that they will unblock the blocked websites if they comply with registration requirements and comply with Indonesian laws and regulations.
Pangeran emphasized that what the government is doing is simply an effort to protect the approximately 191 million internet users in Indonesia this year, especially among the younger generation.