Starting Wednesday, 22 April 2026, Wikipedia Faces Potential Blockade in Indonesia
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Wikimedia project has announced that its services, such as Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, could be blocked by the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi).
The reason is that Wikipedia has not yet registered and complied with the obligations of an Electronic System Operator (PSE).
“The Wikimedia Project websites, including Wikipedia, will be blocked by Komdigi within seven working days if they do not register as a private-scope PSE in Indonesia,” stated the official X account @idwiki on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
However, Director General of Digital Space Supervision Alexander Sabar explained that the PSE is designed to enforce orderly and fair governance in the digital realm for platforms operating in Indonesia.
“In this final extension period of seven days, the Wikimedia Foundation is expected to promptly complete the PSE registration process in accordance with applicable regulations. If there is still no compliance with Indonesian law, we will take firm action in the form of a blockade,” emphasised Alex, quoted from Kompas.com.
This is because the site has become a reference for research and public information searches in Indonesia.
“Wikipedia has become a primary reference in education, research, and daily information needs. Reducing access to this service would undoubtedly have unintended impacts on society. Therefore, we believe the government’s approach should be taken with full caution,” explained Dave on Saturday (18/4/2026).
This is a manifestation of complying with the sovereignty of the law in this country.
“Therefore, every digital platform, whether local or international, including the Wikimedia Foundation as the manager of Wikipedia, must respect and comply with those provisions as a form of respect for Indonesia’s legal sovereignty,” he added.
Dave suggested opening space for dialogue to find the best solution to this issue.
Through its official statement, Wikipedia will explain its purpose for rejecting the PSE, which is known abroad as Ministry Regulation No.5 (MR5).
“We intend to explain the unique position of the foundation as a manager of non-profit technology for Wikipedia and how registration under Indonesia’s MR5 regulation deviates from international human rights norms and threatens the privacy and security of Wikipedia editors,” it wrote, quoted from AFP on Thursday (16/4/2026).
Wikipedia warns that blocking access to it would impact 248 million people in Indonesia.