TikTok has temporarily suspended its live-streaming feature in Indonesia following a surge of nationwide protests and outbreaks of violence, Reuters reported.
In an official statement, TikTok said the move was aimed at keeping the platform “a safe and civil space for users,” adding that it continues to monitor activity and remove content that violates its community guidelines.
Indonesia is one of TikTok’s largest markets, with more than 150 million users—surpassing even the United States, according to Campaign Indonesia.
The decision comes as protests spread beyond the capital, Jakarta, to other cities, with demonstrators setting fire to several parliamentary buildings and reports of civilians being run over by government vehicles.
In response, Jakarta summoned representatives from major social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, urging them to step up content moderation and remove posts inciting violence or spreading misinformation.
TikTok’s live-streaming feature has drawn global scrutiny and legal challenges in recent years. In Egypt, authorities recently worked with the platform to regulate the feature rather than impose a total ban. Earlier this year, TikTok also faced lawsuits alleging that live-streams were being exploited by child predators.
Despite controversies, the feature remains a vital part of TikTok’s ecosystem, allowing creators to earn money through gifts and donations from viewers—a practice that has sometimes been criticized as “digital begging.”
According to the South China Morning Post, TikTok Live alone contributes more than $7.7 billion annually to the platform’s revenue, with the majority of that income generated in the United States.
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