The Indonesian government has suspended the registration of TikTok as an electronic systems provider. This suspension, which could potentially block access for its over 100 million accounts in the country, was imposed because TikTok failed to hand over all requested data related to its live stream feature.
An official from the Communications and Digital Ministry, Alexander Sabar, stated that the ministry requested the company’s traffic, streaming, and monetization data for supervision purposes. TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, did not provide the complete data, citing internal procedures. The ministry determined this omission was a violation of the company’s obligations under Indonesia’s licensing rules, which mandate that all registered electronic system providers must submit data to the government upon request.
The suspension follows an investigation into the use of TikTok’s live stream feature during national protests (late August to September) over issues like lawmaker allowances and police brutality. The official noted that some accounts linked to online gambling were found to have used the feature during these protests.
A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the company is working with the ministry to address the issue and respects the laws in the markets where it operates.
