Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) has blocked the Temu app since it is not registered as an electronic system operator in Indonesia.
“We took down Temu as a quick response to public concerns, especially from small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, Temu is not registered as an electronic system operator,” said Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi at the Ministry’s office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (09/10).
The Ministry immediately blocked the app to protect domestic SMEs from the influx of foreign products. Currently, foreign products threaten SMEs both through online and offline sales. Previously, the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, had sent a letter regarding protecting SME products against the business model employed by foreign marketplaces such as Temu.
“Local SME products need government protection from foreign marketplaces that sell products directly from factories at meager prices. This is unfair competition and threatens the sustainability of local SMEs,” Budi Arie explained.
Based on experiences in several countries, the China-based app has harmed local SMEs and consumers. The quality of products sold on Temu also does not meet quality standards, negatively impacting consumers or buyers.
In 2023, Google temporarily suspended Pinduoduo, Temu’s parent app, due to suspicions of malware that could monitor user activity. “We have blocked Temu on both the App Store and Playstore to protect the public, including consumers and SMEs,” Budi concluded.
