Indonesian Government Bans Steam, Epic Games, and Other Digital Services Due to Permit Issues

Indonesia has imposed a recent ban on select digital service providers, including Epic Games and Steam. Aside from that, other platforms such as Paypal and Nintendo are also affected by the suspension.

Waking up with no access to "Dota 2," "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive," and other games could be one of the most painful experiences that players can feel at the moment.

It's still a puzzle for some users why the government ended up doing that.

Indonesia Blocks Digital Service Providers in Latest Move

Many Indonesians who rely on video game platforms like Steam, Nintendo, Epic Games, and EA freaked out when they discovered that they could no longer access the games they usually play.

According to Gizguide, Indonesia has decided to suspend multiple digital service providers in the country because of some issues regarding their permits. Because of this, Indonesian gamers won't be able to access their game libraries anymore as a result.

The decision came after the government imposed strict compliances on the permit application in the country. If the platforms do not abide, they will be blocked right away.

Regardless of whether the service provider is a local or foreign company, the Indonesian government will not have a second thought if they fail to comply with the requirements.

In another story from IGN on Saturday, July 30, the country's Communication and Information Technology Ministry or Kominfo said that about 282 foreign permit applications had been submitted as of July 29. On the other hand, the local permit applications they received have reached 8,680.

Indonesia is very strict when it comes to the submission of permit applications. The online services should submit them before the deadline, or else their operations will be stopped. That's what happened to Steam, Epic Games, Origin, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Battle Net, and EA.

As of writing, the government has not yet clarified if they will restore the video game services in the future once they comply with the requirements.

Can You Bypass this Restriction?

Indeed, removing a game client might be the worst nightmare gamers could experience. However, some people discovered that you could bypass the restriction and access the game libraries.

IGN saw that on social media, many users said that two ways would help you play games on Steam or Epic Games once again. You can try using a reliable VPN. If it doesn't work on your part, you can also change your DNS.

On Twitter, the official page of Team Secret posted a picture of crying Deku (a protagonist from "Boku no Hero Academia" or "My Hero Academia"), who is pointing his finger at the announcement on the screen.

The illustration has Indonesian writing, which says that some gaming websites are already banned across the country. Many users expressed their disappointment with the issue.

Some said that they could not play "Dota 2" anymore because of it. Another person said that the government only needs some money, that's why they arrived at a decision.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry