TikTok to stop sales in Indonesia after social media transaction ban

Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said firms who did not comply with the ban on goods transactions would first be warned and then lose their license to operate in Indonesia. — Photography Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP

JAKARTA: Short video app TikTok said it will stop transactions on its app in Indonesia from Wednesday after Southeast Asia's biggest economy banned direct sales on social media platforms last week to protect millions of small businesses.

The new regulation is yet another setback for TikTok, which has faced intense scrutiny in the United States and other nations in recent months over users' data security and the company's alleged ties to Beijing.