KPPU Exposes Monopoly Practices of Foreign Giants in Indonesia, Singling Out Google
Foreign technology giants have come to dominate many services operating in Indonesia. One such example is Google, which holds a dominant position across numerous digital services.
The Chairman of the Indonesia Competition Commission (KPKS), Gopprera Panggabean, explained that Google controls almost 90% of the market. This includes services such as search engines, browsers, and operating systems.
“There is Google, there is Chrome, and there are several services with features where they can offer other services; Google almost controls 90 per cent of the market,” he told CNBC Indonesia on Wednesday (16/09/2026).
He also touched upon the Google Play Billing case. In 2025, the KPPU ruled that Google violated Article 17 and Article 25, paragraph (1), point b of Law Number 5/1999. The company was found to be engaging in monopoly practices and the abuse of a dominant position within the Android-based distribution market in Indonesia.
Google has also been ordered to cease the mandatory use of Google Play Billing and to provide alternative payment method options through a User Choice Billing scheme.
Gopprera stated that this case results in consumers losing their choices when transacting within the Play Store platform.
“Consequently, the options for others are reduced, leading to fewer choices for consumers,” he said.
He noted that platform dominance can occur depending on the strategies employed. However, some entities have the potential to engage in practices that contravene anti-monopoly prohibitions.
For instance, prioritising services that are affiliated with the platform, or failing to provide alternative options to both business actors and consumers, thereby creating a reliance on specific platforms.
“We are also looking at the worrying level of dependency; we must ensure that the ecosystem does not ultimately lock users in, making it difficult for consumers to break free from their dependence on a particular platform,” he remarked.