The Indonesian government has officially banned Steam, Epic Games, and PayPal on the internet due to a violation of its licensing. The Indonesian government has blocked access to multiple online services, including Steam, Epic Games, PayPal, and Yahoo, after multiple online services failed to meet a new requirement related to the country’s restrictive content moderation laws, according to earlier reports.
This move hampers millions of gamers’ ability to access their gaming libraries. Many Indonesians reliant on video game platforms such as Steam, Nintendo, and Epic Games, and they were were horrified when they discovered that they were no longer able to access games that they normally played, as Indonesia bans both Steam and Epic Games.
The Indonesian government has reached out to multiple major online services regarding this issue, provided that they have registered with Kominfo and comply. These companies did not register at Kominfo, Indonesia’s Communication and Information Technology Department, which has led to blocking their access in Indonesia. While it remains to be seen whether or not the few major online services will be registered with the Indonesian government, the law’s demand for user personal information may prove to be an obstacle to the video games industry.
Quick update for those asking-
The blocks are not permanent, assuming the companies register and comply with the regulation, and Kominfo has already reached out to these companies to ensure compliance and reverse the block.
Here is a list of affected services: pic.twitter.com/6K121xVEMP
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 30, 2022
With Steam and Epic Games, among others, banned from Indonesia, it is not yet certain if said game platforms would still remain unavailable should they be registered to Kominfo in the future. As of this writing, the platforms and services on the internet are still blocked by the Indonesian Government. The blocks are not permanent, and Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA Play/Origin could return to online services in Indonesia should they choose to abide by the MR5. As of now, the Indonesian government is starting to lock down access for Steam, Epic Games, and PayPal (among others) that do not sign up for an electronic services operator register by 29th July 2022.
The Indonesian government has recently blocked access to a number of major game services that failed to register in a government database under the new MR5 Content Moderation Law. On 29 July 2022, the Indonesian government blocked the online search engine Yahoo and online platform and service Battlenet, and payment company PayPal due to failing to obey the country’s new moderation Law. As long as multiple online platforms registered their companies under licensing rules, they would be allowed to continue operating, at which point Indonesians could resume accessing those services. As of now, Paypal has been unblocked for 5 days and Steam is in talks with the Indonesian government.
