TikTok is boosting its resources to explore ways of saving its ecommerce business in Indonesia — such as building a new app or partnerships with local companies — as the Chinese-owned group battles to remain in its biggest marketplace.
Beijing-based ByteDance, owner of the viral TikTok video app, has put together product and technology teams in Singapore to discuss ideas after Jakarta imposed a ban. One suggestion has been to create an online commerce platform that would be separate to its video app in a bid to satisfy regulators in the south-east Asian economy, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
Another source at TikTok said the situation was “fluid” and, although the company was not actively working on a separate app, all options were being considered.