“It’s owned by ByteDance” – Home Minister Refutes Sanusi’s Claim That Govt Suspended His TikTok Account

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution has refuted the claim by Kedah Menteri Besar (MB) Dato’ Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor that the government suspended his TikTok account, stressing that the government has no power to do so.

Taking to Twitter, Saifuddin said that TikTok is a platform owned by Chinese company Bytedance Ltd and all accounts under the platform must adhere to its terms and conditions, including content and users moderation.

Home minister, datuk seri saifuddin nasution

The Home Minister asserted,

“The Malaysian government has the power to ban TikTok accounts? No. If the platform received many reports and complaints from users, TikTok will ban the account that caused the issue.

“Hence, the one that banned his (Sanusi’s) TikTok account is not the government but the public who lodged the reports and complaints,”

Saifuddin added that Sanusi’s claims that the government banned his TikTok account and that our country is becoming like North Korea are baseless. He further stressed that the government has better things to do than worry about Kedah MB’s TikTok account.

Earlier today, Sanusi claimed that his TikTok account’s suspension was made by the government in an attempt to disrupt his state election campaign.

Kedah menteri besar, dato’ seri muhammad sanusi md nor

As reported by NST, Sanusi, who is also the Perikatan Nasional (PN) election director said that the ban comes as he was just gaining popularity on the platform. The Kedah MB has since created a new TikTok account.

So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Also read: Kedah MB Says Everyone Can Do Whatever They Want in PAS-Led States if They Follow Rules