JAKARTA: Indonesia has temporarily suspended the operating licence of video-sharing platform TikTok after the company failed to fully comply with government requests for data related to recent anti-government protests, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs announced on Friday.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has over 100 million users in Indonesia—its second-largest user base globally.
The ministry said the suspension was due to TikTok’s refusal to provide complete data regarding activity on its live-streaming feature during mass demonstrations in August.
“This measure reflects the government’s firm stance after TikTok submitted only partial data,” said Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Supervision, in an official statement.
The Indonesian government requested traffic and other data from TikTok related to the alleged monetisation of live-streamed content by accounts suspected of promoting online gambling.
According to the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, TikTok was given a deadline of September 23 to comply, but failed to submit the required information.
In response, TikTok stated that it respects the laws of the countries in which it operates.
Under Indonesia’s licensing regulations, all registered digital platforms are required to share user data with the government for oversight purposes or risk being blocked.
A spokesperson said in a statement TikTok was working closely with the ministry “… while remaining committed to safeguarding user privacy and ensuring that our platform provides a safe and responsible experience for the community in Indonesia”.
On Monday, Indonesia’s antitrust agency imposed a $900,000 fine on TikTok for failing to notify regulators in a timely manner about its acquisition of the e-commerce platform Tokopedia.
In a separate move, the government suspended TikTok’s e-commerce feature in 2023, following concerns over its efforts to support small businesses without proper regulatory oversight.
