Due to their failure to adhere to licensing requirements, Indonesia has blocked the search engine Yahoo, the payments company PayPal, and several gaming websites, according to a report by Reuters.

An official revealed the announcement on Saturday, July 30, which ultimately set off a social media backlash.

(Photo : Adek BERRY / AFP) (Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images)
An Indonesian protestor waves a national flag during a demonstration against an alleged conspiracy that has shocked the nation in Jakarta on November 19, 2009. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is days away from a decision on a corruption scandal that will test his election pledge to fight rampant graft and possibly define his presidency. The president is expected to announce next week his response to the recommendations of an independent legal team set up to look into an alleged plot by law enforcers to frame senior officials at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"BlokirKominfo"

Regulations that went into effect in late November 2020 mandated registration and gave officials broad authority to order platforms to hand over user data and remove content deemed illegal or that "disturbs public order" within four hours if necessary and 24 hours if not.

The deadline was eventually extended until Friday, July 29. Hence, several tech companies such as Facebook, Instagram, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, WhatsApp, and Amazon.com had to register immediately before missing the deadline.

Yahoo, Paypal, and gaming websites like Steam, Dota2, Counter-Strike, and EpicGames, among others, have also been blocked, according to Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior official at Indonesia's Communications Ministry.

On Indonesian Twitter, hashtags like "BlokirKominfo" ( which means block the Ministry of Communication), "Epic Games," and "PayPal" became trending. Many users posted messages criticizing the government's action as harming Indonesia's online gaming sector and freelancers who use PayPal.

One Twitter user wrote, "I just found out that Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information just blocked Steam, PayPal, and LinkedIn. They're literally killing freelancers and eSport players in this country."

As of July 29, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) reported receiving 8,680 domestic and 282 foreign permit applications.

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Gaming Platforms Blocked

As reported first by IGN, major online gaming platforms such as Epic Games, EA, Nintendo, Battle Net, Origin, and Ubisoft were unable to submit their applications for licenses before the deadline.

As of now, it is unknown if users' access to platforms like Steam and Epic Games would be restored if they register late with Kominfo.

After being unable to access their game libraries, millions of Indonesian gamers have taken to social media to voice out their frustrations. Several internet users also encouraged one another to use a VPN or change their DNS to play games.

The Southeast Asian country is a significant market for a variety of tech platforms, with an estimated 191 million internet users, according to Reuters.

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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla