The Indonesian ministry of trade stated on Tuesday that the government does not permit transactions on social media platforms and that efforts are being made to further regulate e-commerce.
One of the things that is restricted, according to the ministry, is that social media can only be used for promotions and not for actual transactions.
Users in Indonesia cannot, therefore, use TikTok or Facebook to buy or sell goods or services.
To avoid the misuse of public data, the government stated it will also forbid social media businesses from serving as e-commerce platforms.
Zulkifli Hasan, the minister of trade, said during a press conference on Monday that “the connection [between social media and e-commerce] must be isolated so that the algorithm is not all controlled” and that doing so “prevents the exploitation of personal data” for commercial interests.
The sale of certain imported items would be regulated, Indonesia added, adding that these products will be treated similarly to offline domestic goods. The decision was made in response to the rising availability of foreign items on social media in Indonesia.
Source (CNBC)