Ministry of Communication and Digital Restricts Login Features on Indonesian Wikipedia, Here's Why

The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) has restricted access to login features on Wikimedia services in Indonesia since 25 February 2026.

The restriction was implemented because Wikimedia Foundation has not registered as a Private Scope Electronic System Operator (PSE) as required by Indonesian regulation.

The restriction applies to the auth.wikimedia.org subdomain, which is used for user authentication and login processes. This means Indonesian users are temporarily unable to log in or create new accounts.

“Access to the main Wikimedia.org page and all informational content remains available. The restriction only applies to authentication features,” said a ministry official in Jakarta.

Under this policy, the public can still read all articles and information available on Wikipedia. However, activities requiring an account, such as editing or creating new articles, cannot be performed during the restriction period.

The regulation requires all electronic system operators, whether domestic or foreign, whose services are used in Indonesia to register with the government.

According to officials, notification of the registration requirement was communicated to Wikimedia since November 2025. Komdigi also provided two extensions of the deadline until 20 January 2026.

However, despite the restriction being implemented on 25 February 2026, the registration requirement has still not been fulfilled.

Officials stated that normalisation of access can be achieved once Wikimedia submits its commitment and completes the registration process in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Komdigi emphasised that this policy represents enforcement of administrative obligations applicable to all electronic system operators, regardless of their legal form or non-profit status.