Indonesia Freezes TikTok’s Operating License for Failing to Provide Protest Data
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This article is updated at 09:40 p.m. on October 3, 2025 to add responds from TikTok.
JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has frozen the operating license of TikTok Pte. Ltd. after the platform failed to provide complete data on user activity during nationwide protests from Aug. 25 to Aug. 30, 2025.
The ministry, through its Directorate General of Digital Space Supervision, announced on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, that TikTok only submitted partial information, particularly on livestreams hosted during the protests.
“This step represents the government’s firmness after TikTok provided only partial data on TikTok Live activity during the protest period,” said Director General of Digital Space Supervision Alexander Sabar in an official statement in Jakarta.
Authorities had demanded comprehensive traffic details, livestream metrics, and monetization data, including the number and value of digital gifts, amid suspicions that livestreams were being exploited for online gambling. The government summoned TikTok on Sept. 16, 2025, and gave the company until Sept. 23 to comply.
However, TikTok formally responded that it could not provide the requested data due to internal corporate policy. Officials deemed this a violation of Article 21, Paragraph 1, of Ministerial Regulation No. 5 of 2020, which requires electronic system operators to grant government access for monitoring purposes.
“Kemenkomdigi considers TikTok to have breached its obligations as a private electronic system operator, and therefore we decided to impose a temporary suspension of its license,” Alexander said.
He added that the decision was meant to protect the public from digital misuse and to safeguard vulnerable groups such as children and teenagers. “The ministry is committed to upholding national legal sovereignty in managing the digital space,” he said.
The suspended license, known as Electronic System Operator Registration Certificate (TDPSE), is the key legal requirement for digital platforms to operate in Indonesia. The suspension strips TikTok of its legal operating status until it complies with government regulations and receives reinstatement.
TikTok Vows Cooperation
TikTok has pledged to cooperate with Indonesian authorities after the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs suspended its operating license over an incomplete response to data requests tied to nationwide protests in late August.
In a written statement to Investortrust.id on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, a spokesperson for TikTok Indonesia said the company remains committed to constructive engagement with the government.
“We are working with the ministry to resolve this issue constructively, while continuing our commitment to protect user privacy and ensure our platform remains safe and responsible for the TikTok community in Indonesia,” the spokesperson said.
The company emphasized that it respected Indonesia’s laws and regulations and would maintain a cooperative approach in seeking solutions.