Indonesia To Ban Purchases On Social Media Like TikTok

Indonesia said it will bar social media companies from allowing transactions and doubling as e-commerce platforms -- all to prevent misuse of public data. "This means that users in Indonesia cannot buy or sell products and services on TikTok and Facebook," reports CNBC. From the report: In a media conference Monday, Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan said that "the connection [between social media and e-commerce] must be separated so that the algorithm is not all controlled" and this "prevents the use of personal data" for business purposes. Indonesia also said it would also regulate which overseas goods can be sold, adding these products would receive the same treatment as offline domestic goods. The move comes as foreign goods become increasingly available in Indonesia through social media platforms. "Social commerce was born to solve a real world problem for local traditional small sellers, by matching them with local creators who can help drive traffic to their online shops," a TikTok spokesperson said in response to the move. "While we respect local laws and regulations, we hope that the regulations take into account its impact on the livelihoods of more than 6 million sellers and close to 7 million affiliate creators who use TikTok Shop."

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