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Online sales and advertisement of alcohol is prohibited.

Article 27 and 28 of the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions prohibit to distribute and publish certain material online, including material that promotes gambling or that is “immoral” .

Websites are considered electronic systems, and as such, they need to get certified before registering for a domain name. Websites must also provide the identity of the party providing such an electronic system and information on the object of any transaction.

According to Indonesia's de minimis rule, goods with a value of up to 69 SDR / 100 USD are exempted from taxes and duties collected by customs.

The use of cryptocurrency is banned in Indonesia.

The Regulation of the National Payment Gateway allows three types of institutions to process domestic electronic transactions: standardization institutions, switching institutions, and service institutions. According to Article 12(2)c, these switching institutions have to be owned to at least 80% by Indonesian citizens or entities. The switching institutions are defined under Article 1(3) as entities within the National Payment Gateway that "process payment transactions".

In March 2016, Indonsia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics (MOCI) released a circular letter “Concerning the Provision of Application Services and/or Content over the Internet (OTT)”, which proposes a range of new regulations on Internet services. The packages include proposed requirements to use a national payment gateway.

It is reported that the requirements, as proposed, could present compliance problems for foreign service providers and raise competition concerns and trade barriers.

Additionally, a draft OTT regulation was issued in 2017 for public consultation and comments, signalling that the MOCI is still pressing on with these measures, although its contents may change.

Indonesia has not adopted the UNCITRAL model law on e-commerce or e-signatures.

Regulation No. 11/12/PBI/2009 (as amended by Regulation No. 16/8/PBI 2014) requires that any 'e-money' issuer must be licensed by the Indonesia's Central Bank. Moreover, the Circular Letter of Bank Indonesia requires e-money to have a monetary value. Therefore, Indonesian regulations does not allow for virtual currencies such as bitcoin, which remain unregulated.

In March 2016, Indonsia's Ministry of Communication and Informatics (MOCI) released a circular letter “Concerning the Provision of Application Services and/or Content over the Internet (OTT)”, which proposes a range of new regulations on Internet services. The packages include proposed requirements to establish a local business entity to do business with Indonesian citizens, to use a national payment gateway, and to use local IP numbers and store data within Indonesia.

It is reported that the requirements, as proposed, could present compliance problems for foreign service providers and raise competition concerns and trade barriers.

Additionally, a draft OTT regulation was issued in 2017 for public consultation and comments, signalling that the MOCI is still pressing on with these measures, although its contents may change.

There are limitations on foreign ownership in the express delivery services, which could affect e-retailers. Foreigners are not allowed to own more than 49% of these services. Moreover, foreign suppliers are required to limit their activities to provincial capitals with international airports and seaports.

Online retailing and post retailing was formerly closed to foreign ownership. Foreign investors could not participate in e-commerce activities, although there were no foreign investment restrictions for intermediary e-commerce.

Following Presidential Decree No. 44/2016, effective in May 2016, full foreign ownership is allowed for foreign investors who invest at least IDR 100 billion (approx. USD $7.4 million) for the establishment of an e-commerce company in Indonesia.

Since 2014, all wireless and telecommunication end products, including a non-POSTEL approved wireless module, must undergo local testing and obtain the system approval from the Indonesian authority Sumber Daya Dan Perangkat Pos Dan Informatika (SDPPI). Manufacturers may apply to have their Dual Band (2400-2483.5MHz and 5725-5825MHz) access point products tested. The testing process must be conducted by Telkom RisTi Bandung and not by SDPPI test laboratory.

The National Telecommunication Act No.36 requires certificate of approval for every telecommunication and IT equipment entering Indonesian territory. Such products must be type approved by the Directorate General of Posts and Telecommunications (DG SDPPI or DG PosTel). The approval requires in-country testing for most equipment types, but it can be issued to a foreign manufacturer.

Ministry of Industry (MOI) Regulation 24/2013 requires, as of April 2016, a mutual recognition agreement for the acceptance of test reports from laboratories outside Indonesia. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether any such agreements exist in practice.

Indonesia's patent law has a local manufacturing requirement. The patent holder is obliged to manufacture the patented product or use the patented process in Indonesia. The law also lays down that non-compliance with the requirement within 36 months from the grant of the patent triggers the possibility to issue a compulsory license or the abolishment of the patent. This provision could prevent the patenting of products, produced by any industry, that are not manufactured in Indonesia.