Indonesia has reinstated TikTok’s local operating license after it shared data requested by the government that was linked to the nationwide protests between late August and September.
TikTok provided the requested data on “traffic escalation and TikTok Live monetisation activities” from August 25 to August 30, via an official letter dated October 3, said Alexander Sabar, an official at Indonesia’s communications and digital ministry.
Government authorities temporarily stripped the social media platform of its status as a registered electronic systems operator on Friday, after it failed to submit complete data as requested.
“With the lifting of this freeze, TikTok users can continue their normal activities, while the government ensures that the digital space remains healthy, safe, and transparent,” according to an official government press release Saturday.
Indonesia is a significant market for TikTok, boasting over 100 million users. The suspension of TikTok’s local operating license raised concerns about government control over free speech under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.
However, Indonesian official Sabar said the government needs the data to trace accounts tied to online gambling that monetised TikTok’s live stream feature during the anti-government protests over rising living costs, lawmakers’ privileges, and police brutality.
On August 25, thousands of citizens gathered outside the country’s parliament to protest against perks granted to politicians, such as a monthly housing allowance that was reportedly nearly 10 times the minimum wage in the country’s largest city, Jakarta.
Later that week, mass demonstrations escalated after a delivery driver was reportedly run over and killed by a police vehicle in Jakarta.
The incident sparked public outrage and set off a wave of violent and deadly demonstrations across the country. Protesters targeted the homes of lawmakers, ransacking properties and setting government buildings ablaze, according to reports.
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Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs and TikTok have not responded to CNBC’s request for comment.
