Indonesia Blocks Access to Steam, Epic Games
This follows a new law for online platforms and services.
The Indonesian government has banned several major digital video game storefronts like Steam and Epic Games, a move that could prevent millions of gamers from accessing their game libraries.
This comes after the enactment of a new law in Indonesia that requires online platforms and services to apply for a permit to continue operating in the country.
Local and foreign tech companies that fail to comply risk having their online services blocked.
Companies that failed to register with Kominfo are now being blocked in Indonesia.
This includes services such as Steam, Epic Games, Paypal etc...
Will update when there is a greater clarity from these platforms or the govt on next steps https://t.co/vtxWjDCC57 — Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 29, 2022
According to the Indonesian Communication and Information Technology Ministry (Kominfo), it received a total of 8,680 domestic dan 282 foreign permit applications as at July 29.
However, several major online services including Steam, Epic Games, Battle Net, Ubisoft, EA, Nintendo and Origin failed to apply for permits before the deadline.
It is unclear whether access to services like Steam and Epic Games would be reinstated if they are registered with Kominfo in the future.
Steam, PayPal, Battlenet, Epic Games and other websites have been banned in Indonesia 😐 pic.twitter.com/cJua1JQKDC — Team Secret (@teamsecret) July 29, 2022
Millions of Indonesian gamers received a bad start to their day after failing to access their game libraries. On social media, people are advising each other to circumvent this by changing their DNS or by using a VPN.
