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Indonesia Threatens Wikipedia Blockade Over Registration
17 Apr
Summary
- Wikipedia's parent company will meet Indonesian officials next week.
- Indonesia demands registration under rules critics call free speech restriction.
- Blocking Wikipedia would deny millions access to free knowledge.
The Wikimedia Foundation is set to hold talks with the Indonesian government next week. This follows Jakarta's ultimatum to block Wikipedia over its refusal to register as an "electronic system provider" (PSE).
Indonesia's 2020 regulation mandates PSE registration for companies operating within the country, citing legal and user protection. However, a provision requiring the removal of content deemed to "cause public unrest" has drawn criticism as a potential free speech infringement.
Wikimedia argues that registering under Indonesia's MR5 regulation deviates from international human rights norms and jeopardizes the privacy and security of its editors. The foundation intends to resist what it deems inappropriate orders and push back against laws demanding rapid user data disclosure without legal recourse.
A potential blockade would significantly limit access to information for Indonesia's 284 million citizens, impacting the fourth most populous nation's access to a vast free knowledge repository. This situation echoes a previous instance where Indonesia briefly suspended TikTok's license over similar data-sharing disputes.
