Indonesia's Komdigi to Block Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons: What is the Reason?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) states that the Government will block the Wikimedia Foundation if it does not complete the registration process as an Electronic System Operator (PSE). The Government is still giving the Wikimedia Foundation seven days from Wednesday (15/4/2026) to register as a PSE in accordance with the applicable laws in Indonesia. “Komdigi will block Wikimedia services, including the online encyclopaedia ecosystem Wikipedia Indonesia and Wikimedia Commons,” said Director General of Digital Space Supervision Alexander Sabar, in a press statement on Thursday (16/4/2026). Komdigi is not without reason for issuing this ultimatum; the Government is enforcing orderly and fair digital space governance for all electronic system operators. Therefore, Alex stated that Komdigi will not hesitate to impose sanctions, considering that Wikimedia has already been given a sufficiently long deadline. “If there is still no compliance with Indonesian laws, we will take firm action in the form of blocking,” emphasised the Director General. Registration as a PSE is mandatory for digital platforms (local/foreign) operating in Indonesia for legality, user data protection, and digital space governance. PSE registration is an absolute requirement for all electronic system operators (social media, e-commerce, fintech, search engines) operating in Indonesia. Minister of Communication and Informatics Regulation No. 5 of 2020 on Private Scope Electronic System Operators stipulates that PSEs that do not register may be subject to sanctions, ranging from written warnings to access disconnection or service blocking. PSE registration is free of charge and applied equally to all platforms, whether for-profit or non-profit, including public PSEs such as the Wikimedia Foundation.