Indonesia has suspended TikTok’s registration as an electronic systems provider after the company allegedly failed to hand over full data related to its live-streaming feature, according to a statement from the country’s communications and digital ministry on Friday.
The move technically gives authorities the power to restrict access to TikTok—used by over 100 million Indonesians—but as of Friday, Reuters reporters were still able to access the app normally. Officials have not yet clarified whether the suspension will lead to an outright block.
Ministry official Alexander Sabar said the suspension followed concerns that accounts linked to online gambling exploited TikTok’s live-streaming tool during recent national protests, which erupted over lawmakers’ allowances and police brutality from late August through September. TikTok had temporarily suspended its live feature during the unrest, saying it aimed to “keep TikTok a safe and civil space.”
According to Sabar, the government requested TikTok’s traffic, streaming, and monetization data, but the company, owned by China’s ByteDance, did not fully comply, citing internal company procedures. “The communications and digital ministry deemed TikTok to have violated its obligations as a private electronic provider,” Sabar said, explaining that the platform’s registration was therefore suspended.
Under Indonesian law, all registered digital service providers must share certain operational data with the government for oversight purposes or risk being blocked.
In response, a TikTok spokesperson stated that the company respects local laws and is working with authorities to resolve the issue.
The dispute highlights Indonesia’s tightening regulatory scrutiny over global tech platforms, following a broader regional trend toward data sovereignty—governments demanding access to digital companies’ data as a condition for market operation.
