Indonesia blocks Google Pixel sales after ban on iPhone 16
(techcrunch.com)https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/31/indonesia-bans-google-pixel-sales-after-iphone-16-block/?guccounter=1Indonesia has banned sales of Google Pixel smartphones for failing to meet domestic content requirements, days after blocking Apple’s iPhone 16 in Southeast Asia’s largest phone market.
The Indonesian Ministry of Industry said Google’s phones cannot be traded until they comply with rules requiring 40% local content in smartphones sold in Indonesia.
Google must obtain local content certification before resuming sales, Industry Ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief told local reporters. “The local content rule and related policies are made for fairness for all investors that invest in Indonesia, and for creating added value and deepening the industry structure here,” Hendri was quoted as saying.
The ban follows Indonesia’s block on iPhone 16 sales last week after Apple failed to meet a $95 million investment commitment. Major smartphone makers must manufacture devices, develop firmware, or invest in local innovation to meet Indonesia’s content rules.