A day after the Indonesia government urged tech companies to register under new licensing rules or risk getting blocked, Meta Platforms and Google agreed to abide by Indonesia's new rules for Big Tech.
Global tech firms including Google and Meta were yet to comply with the July 20 deadline. The requirement to register is part of a set of rules, first released in November 2020, that will allow authorities to order platforms to take down content deemed unlawful, or that ‘disturbs public order' within four hours if considered urgent, and 24 hours if not.
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have already signed up before the Wednesday deadline, according to government records. The Indonesian authorities had warned to block Big Tech platforms in several days if they fail to register with the country's Ministry of Communications and Informatics.
The digital giants are given time until Wednesday to complete the registration for licensing. Otherwise, the ministry will name them illegal and unlawful in the country.
“We have warned all local and foreign tech companies, including online services, sites, and application providers, many times that they have to register if they do not want to risk being blocked. We have given them time since six months ago,” the ministry's Director General for Information Applications Semuel Abrijani said.
The registration is part of the country's new regulation starting from January 2022, saying all tech platforms must secure licenses to be able to operate.
The Indonesian government is currently trying to reduce the spreading of misinformation and hoaxes, particularly ahead of the country's general election in 2024, reports Xinhua news agency.
