-
Indonesia halts TikTok Licence after app declines to hand over protest-related data.
-
Suspension tied to alleged online gambling and monetisation of live streams.
-
TikTok faces rising regulatory battles in one of its biggest global markets.
Indonesia’s government has suspended the TikTok licence after the Chinese-owned platform allegedly refused to provide full data on its live streaming activities during August’s anti-government protests.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said on Friday that TikTok failed to comply with requests for traffic and monetisation records from accounts suspected of promoting online gambling during the unrest.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
“This step is a form of the government’s firmness after TikTok only provided partial data,” said Alexander Sabar, Director-General of Digital Space Supervision, in an official statement.
READ ALSO: Atiku Rules Out Stepping Down, Insists on 2027 Battle as PDP Woes Deepen
Regulatory Clash
Officials disclosed that the company was given until September 23 to comply with the data request but failed to meet the deadline. Despite the suspension, TikTok’s live feature was still accessible as of Friday evening.
Indonesia represents TikTok’s second largest user base globally, with over 100 million active accounts. The platform, owned by China’s ByteDance, said it was “working closely” with regulators while stressing its commitment to user privacy.
Mounting Scrutiny
TikTok’s struggles in Indonesia have intensified in recent months. In August, it was forced to suspend its live feature after violent protests erupted over the death of a man struck by a police vehicle.
Earlier this week, Indonesia’s antitrust agency fined TikTok $900,000 for failing to notify regulators about its acquisition of e-commerce platform Tokopedia. Its e-commerce operations were also briefly suspended in 2023 before it secured a majority stake in Tokopedia to merge their shopping platforms.
