Indonesia Bans Steam, PayPal, Epic Games: Here's What We Know

Indonesian gamers are suddenly left in the dark after Indonesian authorities ban Paypal and several online video game markets like Steam and Epic Games over new laws on licensing.

According to a report from Nikkei Asia, the recent bans on the said online platforms were put in place due to their noncompliance with license requirements. Indonesia has blocked many gaming websites, payments company Paypal, and search engine Yahoo, an official stated on Saturday, triggering a social media backlash.

New laws passed in the country will now require online platforms to submit permits before operating in Indonesia, failure to do so risks platforms being blocked. The recent rulings also compel internet platforms to share communications and personal data whenever the Indonesian government asks for it.

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Gamerbraves reported that a recent regulation on Penyelenggara Sistem Elektronik Swasta (PSE), or Private Electronic System Providers from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kominfo) stated that both domestic and foreign tech companies that offer services or conduct business must be registered with the Indonesian government.

Ban Risk Awaits for Unregistered Online Platforms in Indonesia

To add, the Indonesian government is setting up this ban on unregistered online media platforms that require data from its citizens. This move from the Indonesian government is said to be motivated by threats that Indonesian citizens' data might be sold elsewhere if not regulated.

The Indonesian internet and telecommunications department called Kominfo set July 29, Friday, as a deadline for platforms to register their services, but many platforms like Epic Games, Steam, Nintendo, and Paypal failed to make it to the deadline.

These regulatory developments in Indonesia are seen by many as a step backward for the booming gaming industry in the country. Statistics from Allcorrect Games mention Indonesia as the 16th biggest gaming market in the world, with sales amounting to USD$ 1.90 billion in the last quarter of 2021.

This ban on many online platforms came as a surprise to many Indonesians as the Indonesian government in the past has been keen on supporting the growth of the gaming and esports industry in the country. The government has already created laws that are aimed at supporting the industry.

Indonesian Gamers React to Recent Ban on Sites

Affected gamers in Indonesia voice out on the Internet their frustrations with these recent developments. Many viewed this action from the government as a selfish move that only benefits the state.

On Twitter, international esports organization Team Secret has also expressed its reaction to the recent banning spree. Hashtag "BlokirKominfo" trends Twitter as online protests continue to outpour.

As Kominfo and the Indonesian government is still under fire because of these sudden actions, it is still not clear whether platforms Steam, Epic Games, Nintendo, and others can make a comeback in the country soon.

On this day, thousands of gamers from Indonesia have failed to access their favorite game libraries, but some have resorted to solutions involving VPN and DNS routing. Unfortunately, the nationwide ban also affected private ISPs, which means Indonesian users will have a difficult time trying to reach their favorite gaming platforms.

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