Netflix's worldwide rollout has hit its first stumble, as the largest telecom in Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, has blocked the service.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, the state-owned PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk., known as Telkom, has started blocking Netflix in the country. Telkom raised two objections: one, it claims Netflix does not have a permit to operate in Indonesia. Two, Telkom says Netflix's content may be too violent or adult to meet the country's censorship standards.
Telkom objected to Netflix operating without a permit
In a statement to the Journal, Netflix said it was "an Internet television network, not a traditional broadcaster," implying that it may not be bound by the same rules as some of its TV counterparts.
An Indonesian official suggested to the Journal that Netflix register itself as a foreign provider of internet-based media and "self-censor" its content. Netflix, meanwhile, pointed to its ratings guides and parental controls as ways for viewers to control what they watch.
The official told the Journal that the government itself would make a decision next month on whether to fully block Netflix, or to perhaps create a new regulation that would allow companies like Netflix to continue operating. Despite the Telkom ban, the official said Netflix would be allowed to otherwise continue for now.