After iPhone 16, Indonesia also Ban Google Pixel Phone Sales

Days after banning Apple’s iPhone 16 from the biggest phone market in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has prohibited sales of Google Pixel smartphones due to their failure to comply with local content regulations.

Google’s phones aren’t tradeable unless they comply with the requirements for 40% local content in smartphones sold in Indonesia, according to The Indonesian Ministry of Industry.

Before starting sales again, Google Pixel needs to get certified for local content, Industry Ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief informed local reporters. According to Hendri, “the local content rule and related policies are made for fairness for all investors that invest in Indonesia, as well as for creating added value and deepening the industry structure here.”

This comes after Indonesia banned the sale of iPhone 16s last week due to Apple’s failure to fulfill a $95 million investment pledge. Indonesia’s content regulations require major smartphone manufacturers to either manufacture devices, develop firmware, or invest in local innovation.

According to an Indonesian regulation, tech companies must source 40% of their handset and tablet components domestically. This criterion can be satisfied by direct investment in innovation initiatives, firmware development, or local manufacture.

Companies can meet the standards in a number of ways. For example, Xiaomi and Samsung have set up manufacturing facilities, whereas Apple has chosen to construct developer academies.

The rule is implemented through a certification process known as “local content level,” and it is a component of Indonesia’s larger industrial strategy to use its sizable customer base to support domestic economic growth. Businesses that don’t reach these targets risk having their sales restricted.

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