Indonesia Bans Google Pixel Sales Over Non-Compliance with Local Sourcing Rules

Indonesia, the largest phone market in Southeast Asia, has taken a firm stand against tech giants, banning both Google Pixel and Apple’s iPhone 16 from sale after the companies failed to meet strict local investment regulations. Following Apple’s ban, Indonesia swiftly added Google Pixel to the list, citing non-compliance with the country’s requirement that 40% of communication devices' components be locally sourced.

Until these giants align with local sourcing laws, their flagship devices won’t be hitting Indonesian shelves—a move underscoring the nation’s commitment to bolstering its domestic manufacturing sector and reducing foreign dependency in tech.

However, Google claimed that Indonesia did not have an official distribution of Pixel phones.

Customers can still buy the phones from abroad as long as they pay the required import duties, according to industry ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief. They might think about disabling Pixel gadgets that were brought into the country illegally, he added.