Douyin video app banned in Indonesia
Popular Chinese video-sharing app Tik Tok (known as Douyin in China) was blocked by the Indonesian government on Tuesday, following popular outrage about its disrespect for local culture, according to a report by local news site Detik News.
The ban came after Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology reportedly received 2,853 complaints about some of the user-generated content on the app. Some videos shown were “indecent and not appropriate for children,” said Rudiantara, the Indonesian Minister of Communication.
Tik Tok’s operator Bytedance did not respond immediately to Global Times’ requests for comment on the ban issue.
Tik Tok is one of China’s most popular short-video sharing apps with almost 140 million active users in the country, according to data from iiMedia.
The app, which allows users to upload their own 15-second videos, is also popular overseas in a rare case of Chinese software successfully going global. The app has more than 100 million overseas users, and is especially active in Indonesia, Thailand and Japan, according to a Tik Tok statement sent to the Global Times.
The app, however, has long been controversial in Indonesia, where an online public petition calling for banning Tik Tok has gathered more than 140,000 signatures since March.
The outrage caused by a recent video in which two nurses play with a newborn baby in a hospital appears to have triggered the Indonesian government to finally launch the ban.
“I am happy Tik Tok is banned,” an Indonesian internet user told the Global Times on Wednesday. “Too many videos show people dancing in a borderline pornographic way, and others openly make fun of our religion,” he said.
“The app makes people stupid,” said another Indonesian with the user name Megane on Twitter.
Tik Tok will be allowed to operate again if it clears its illegal content, according to a government spokesman quoted by local media.
“The app itself is not bad, it’s entertainment. But too many users are young students so they upload videos without thinking carefully. Tik Tok should upgrade its features, make it more educational and block harmful content,” said another Indonesian Twitter user with the name Elsia.