This DPR Member Gives 'Bad Boy' Cap For Tiktok, Gives An Explanation Of The Situation In America And Indonesia

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The DPR said the transition period or trial provided by the government to Tiktok Shop was intolerable. Tiktok is said to be operating by manipulating the flexibility received in the last 3 months. Previously, the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki ensured that the Minister of Trade Regulation Number 31 of 2023 did not recognize the term transition or system migration as suggested by Tiktok.

"The three months the government has given TikTok should be more than sufficient. The government should not tolerate any more," DPR Commission VI member Amin AK told reporters, Wednesday, March 13.

"We deeply regret TikTok's manipulative practice of taking advantage of the trial period by reviving their social-commerce. In the last 3 months, based on our observations, the TikTok application as a social media application can openly transact directly with consumers," Amin continued.

In addition to the absence of a transition period or system migration, Tiktok is also suspected of violating the provisions of Permendag 31/2023 regarding data interconnection between affiliated companies. Although it is said that transactions occurred on the backend of Tokopedia, there is still data interconnection between Tiktok as social media and Tokopedia, which is an affiliated company. According to the legislator from PKS, it is true that the Tiktok Shop transition period, which was previously excited, was closed because their trading business model had weakened small-middle businesses.

In order to target the Indonesian market, Tiktok even acquired Tokopedia which is a local e-commerce in the country.

"In the midst of the ongoing process, the fact is that transactions on TikTok Shop continue. TikTok still uses social media as an e-commerce transaction media. If at the beginning alone it becomes a 'bad boy', we deserve to worry that in the future violations of the rules will repeat itself," he said.

Amin said the attitude of the Indonesian government is very much different from that of the United States government. American policy is considered to protect its citizens from the economic and security interests of its citizens' data on foreign companies operating in Uncle Sam's country.

First, the importance of a serious state protecting consumer interests, in this context, concerns about the leak of personal data from the US community that the Chinese government has the potential to take. Second, the alignment of the US government towards business actors in the country and the future of their national economy, especially in the e-commerce sector.

"I see that the policies of the US government and the Indonesian government are very different. I am afraid that the acquisition of Tokopedia by TikTok will become a troya horse' for controlling the personal data of the Indonesian people by TikTok and its parent company," he said.

He is also worried that Telkom's BUMN investment through Telkomsel in GoTo (Gojek-Tokopedia) will also have an effect. Because, it is not impossible that the ownership of the state-owned company, which is now a minority, Telkomsel's data is used for the benefit of foreign companies.

"I urge the government to be more assertive about the protection of personal data and national security, including national economic security. Not because we need investment, but to ignore efforts to protect the interests of the nation and state," he said.

As is known, the US House of Representatives will take a stand regarding rules that force Bytedance, sell Tiktok ownership to owners outside China if it still wants to operate in America, which is the largest market. According to The Economist, influential media in the UK, the US considers Tiktok to be used as a Chinese propaganda tool that collides with the west. Information spread through Tiktok is said to be highly biased and baseless. On the other hand, Tiktok has succeeded in acquiring Tokopedia which is the largest local e-commerce in Indonesia.

The US SEC, in the article, is also mentioned, other countries, from Britain and France to Australia, are starting to implement some restrictions in their own country.