JAKARTA, Oct 3, 2025 — Indonesia has suspended TikTok’s registration status as an electronic system provider after accusing the company of failing to comply with data-sharing requirements, the communications and digital ministry announced on Friday.
Officials said TikTok, which has more than 100 million users in the country, failed to fully hand over data related to its live-streaming feature, particularly during a wave of nationwide protests earlier this year.
Alexander Sabar, a senior ministry official, said in a statement that some TikTok accounts were allegedly linked to online gambling networks and had monetised live streams during demonstrations against lawmakers’ allowances and police brutality in August and September.
TikTok temporarily disabled its live feature during the unrest, saying the move was aimed at maintaining a “safe and civil space.” But authorities later demanded access to traffic, streaming, and monetisation records. According to Sabar, the company provided only partial information, citing internal procedures.
“As TikTok failed to meet its obligations as a registered private electronic provider, the ministry decided to suspend its registration,” Sabar said.
Under Indonesian regulations, all digital platforms registered with the government must hand over operational data for supervisory purposes or risk suspension and potential blocking.
Despite the suspension, TikTok remained accessible in Indonesia on Friday, with Reuters reporters able to use the app without disruption. The government has not clarified whether a full ban is under consideration.
ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, has not issued a response to the suspension, and requests for comment from the ministry went unanswered.
The move highlights growing scrutiny of global social media platforms in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, where the government has tightened regulations on digital content and demanded greater access to data from tech giants.
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