TikTok’s eCommerce ambitions taking a hit

Taking a hit: A trader conducts live sales via streaming at a store at a textile market in Jakarta. TikTok says the Indonesian government’s decision to ban eCommerce transactions on social media platforms will affect millions of sellers who use TikTok Shop. — AP

NEW YORK: Teten Masduki couldn’t stop talking about TikTok. In a July meeting with his team, the Indonesian minister broke from the official agenda every five to 10 minutes to complain about how the Chinese-owned social media platform was squeezing local players.

It wasn’t a once-off, according to people familiar with the internal discussions. It’s a familiar scene in meetings run by Teten, appointed Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises in 2019.