TikTok, the popular social media app, is stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia. This is because the Indonesian government made new rules to protect local retailers. Indonesia was the first country to try out TikTok’s online shopping, and it became really popular there. But last week, the government said TikTok had to separate its shopping feature from its video sharing service. If TikTok doesn’t follow these rules, it could lose its license to operate in Indonesia.
The trade minister of Indonesia, Zulkifli Hasan, said that online shopping and social media should be kept separate. He also told social media platforms that they had one week to follow the new rules. TikTok said in a statement that they want to follow the laws and rules of the country. So, they won’t let people buy things on TikTok Shop in Indonesia anymore.
Online shopping has grown a lot in Indonesia recently. The country’s central bank thinks that the value of online sales will go up a lot between 2018 and next year. It could reach 689 trillion Indonesian rupiah. TikTok Shop was getting more popular in Indonesia’s online shopping market, which is mostly controlled by platforms like Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada.
Indonesia has more than 125 million TikTok users. There are 6 million sellers and lots of creators who make money by promoting things on TikTok Shop. Online retailers have made it hard for physical shops to do well. TikTok has also faced problems in other countries like the US, European Union, and the UK because people are worried about security. So, TikTok is stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia to follow the new rules and protect local retailers.
Original news source: TikTok: Social media app shuts shop after Indonesia ban (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and give each group a copy of the article. Ask them to read the article and then work together to create a summary of the key points. They should focus on the main ideas, important details, and any significant quotes. After they have finished, have each group share their summary with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Have the students form pairs or small groups. Ask them to discuss the following question based on the article: “Do you think it is fair for the Indonesian government to make TikTok separate its online shopping feature from its video sharing service?” After they have had a chance to discuss, conduct a class poll by having each pair or group share their opinion and explain their reasoning.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and be shown a vocabulary word. They must then draw a picture to represent the word, while their team tries to guess what word they are drawing. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Continue until all the vocabulary words have been used or the time limit is reached.
– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write a list of keywords from the article on separate pieces of paper and distribute them to the students. In pairs or small groups, one student will draw a keyword and try to describe it to their partner/group without using the keyword itself. The partner/group must then try to guess the keyword based on the description. Set a time limit for each round and keep track of how many keywords each student/group can guess correctly.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Discuss with the class the impact of TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia. Ask the students to make predictions about what might happen as a result of this decision. For example, they could discuss how it might affect local retailers, the online shopping market in Indonesia, or the popularity of TikTok itself. Encourage the students to support their predictions with reasons and evidence from the article.
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why is TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia?
2. What did the Indonesian government say TikTok had to do with its shopping feature?
3. According to the trade minister of Indonesia, why should online shopping and social media be kept separate?
4. How does TikTok plan to follow the laws and rules of Indonesia?
5. Why has online shopping grown a lot in Indonesia recently?
6. Which platforms mostly control Indonesia’s online shopping market?
7. How many TikTok users does Indonesia have?
8. Why has TikTok faced problems in other countries like the US, European Union, and the UK?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
(1)______, the (2)______ (3)______ media app, is stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia. This is because the Indonesian government made new rules to protect local retailers. Indonesia was the first country to try out TikTok’s online shopping, and it became really popular there. But last week, the government said TikTok had to separate its shopping (4)______ from its video sharing service. If TikTok doesn’t follow these rules, it could lose its license to operate in Indonesia.
The trade (5)______ of Indonesia, Zulkifli Hasan, said that online shopping and social media should be kept separate. He also told social media (6)______ that they had one week to follow the new rules. TikTok said in a (7)______ that they want to follow the laws and rules of the (8)______. So, they won’t let people buy things on TikTok Shop in Indonesia anymore.
Online (9)______ has grown a lot in Indonesia recently. The country’s central bank (10)______ that the value of online sales will go up a lot between 2018 and next year. It could (11)______ 689 trillion Indonesian rupiah. TikTok Shop was getting more popular in Indonesia’s online shopping market, which is mostly controlled by platforms like (12)______, Shopee, and Lazada.
Indonesia has more than 125 million TikTok users. There are 6 million sellers and lots of (13)______ who make money by promoting things on TikTok Shop. Online (14)______ have made it hard for (15)______ shops to do well. TikTok has also faced (16)______ in other countries like the US, European Union, and the UK because people are worried about security. So, TikTok is stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia to follow the new rules and protect local retailers.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is TikTok?
2. How do you feel about TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia?
3. Do you like online shopping? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if your favorite social media app stopped offering online shopping?
5. What do you think about the Indonesian government’s decision to separate online shopping and social media?
6. Have you ever bought anything online? If so, what did you buy and how was your experience?
7. What do you think about the growth of online shopping in Indonesia?
8. Do you think online shopping is better than shopping in physical stores? Why or why not?
9. How do you think physical shops can compete with online retailers?
10. Have you ever promoted or sold something online? If so, how was your experience?
11. What do you think about the concerns over TikTok’s security in other countries?
12. Do you think it’s important for social media platforms to follow the laws and rules of the countries they operate in? Why or why not?
13. How do you think the new rules in Indonesia will affect local retailers?
14. Do you think TikTok made the right decision to stop its online shopping service in Indonesia? Why or why not?
15. What other social media platforms do you use and do they offer online shopping?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. TikTok
2. online shopping
3. Indonesia
4. government
5. rules
6. social media
7. separate
8. license
Meanings:
(a) Buying things on the internet
(b) Instructions that must be followed
(c) Websites and apps where people can connect and share information
(d) The group of people who make decisions for a country
(e) Permission to do something legally
(f) A country in Southeast Asia
(g) To keep things apart or not together
(h) A popular app for sharing videos and shopping
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why is TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia?
(a) TikTok is facing security concerns in Indonesia.
(b) TikTok wants to focus on its video sharing service instead.
(c) Online shopping is not popular in Indonesia.
(d) The Indonesian government made new rules to protect local retailers.
2. What did the Indonesian government say TikTok had to do?
(a) Separate its shopping feature from its video sharing service.
(b) Shut down its operations in Indonesia.
(c) Increase its online sales in Indonesia.
(d) Merge with other online shopping platforms.
3. Who is Zulkifli Hasan?
(a) The CEO of TikTok.
(b) The founder of TikTok Shop.
(c) The trade minister of Indonesia.
(d) The spokesperson for local retailers in Indonesia.
4. Why did the Indonesian government want online shopping and social media to be kept separate?
(a) To protect local retailers.
(b) To increase online sales in Indonesia.
(c) To promote physical shops.
(d) To make TikTok Shop more popular.
5. Which platforms control Indonesia’s online shopping market?
(a) TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
(b) Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba.
(c) Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.
(d) Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada.
6. How many TikTok users are there in Indonesia?
(a) Less than 1 million.
(b) More than 125 million.
(c) Exactly 6 million.
(d) Around 100 million.
7. Who makes money by promoting things on TikTok Shop?
(a) Sellers.
(b) Physical shops.
(c) Creators.
(d) Online retailers.
8. Where else has TikTok faced problems?
(a) China, Japan, and South Korea.
(b) The US, European Union, and the UK.
(c) Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
(d) Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Indonesia was the first country to try out TikTok’s online shopping feature, and it became very popular there.
2. TikTok has decided to follow the new rules and will no longer allow people to buy things on TikTok Shop in Indonesia.
3. The government demanded that TikTok integrate its shopping feature with its video sharing service.
4. The Indonesian government implemented new rules to protect local retailers, which led to TikTok’s decision.
5. TikTok, a popular social media app, is expanding its online shopping service in Indonesia.
6. Online shopping has declined significantly in Indonesia, and the country’s central bank predicts a substantial decrease in online sales in the coming years.
7. The trade minister of Indonesia believes that online shopping and social media should be kept separate.
8. Compliance with the new rules could result in TikTok losing its license to operate in Indonesia.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. Why is TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia?
2. What did the Indonesian government say about online shopping and social media?
3. How has online shopping grown in Indonesia recently?
4. How many TikTok users are there in Indonesia?
5. Why has TikTok faced problems in other countries like the US and the UK?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. Why is TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia?
TikTok is stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia because the Indonesian government made new rules to protect local retailers.
2. What did the Indonesian government say TikTok had to do with its shopping feature?
The Indonesian government said TikTok had to separate its shopping feature from its video sharing service.
3. According to the trade minister of Indonesia, why should online shopping and social media be kept separate?
The trade minister of Indonesia believes that online shopping and social media should be kept separate to maintain clarity and avoid confusion for users.
4. How does TikTok plan to follow the laws and rules of Indonesia?
TikTok plans to follow the laws and rules of Indonesia by no longer allowing people to buy things on TikTok Shop in Indonesia.
5. Why has online shopping grown a lot in Indonesia recently?
Online shopping has grown a lot in Indonesia recently because it is convenient and offers a wide range of products to choose from.
6. Which platforms mostly control Indonesia’s online shopping market?
Platforms like Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada mostly control Indonesia’s online shopping market.
7. How many TikTok users does Indonesia have?
Indonesia has more than 125 million TikTok users.
8. Why has TikTok faced problems in other countries like the US, European Union, and the UK?
TikTok has faced problems in other countries like the US, European Union, and the UK due to concerns about security and privacy issues related to user data.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) TikTok
(2) popular
(3) social
(4) feature
(5) minister
(6) platforms
(7) statement
(8) country
(9) shopping
(10) thinks
(11) reach
(12) Tokopedia
(13) creators
(14) retailers
(15) physical
(16) problems
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. TikTok
Answer: (h) A popular app for sharing videos and shopping
2. online shopping
Answer: (a) Buying things on the internet
3. Indonesia
Answer: (f) A country in Southeast Asia
4. government
Answer: (d) The group of people who make decisions for a country
5. rules
Answer: (b) Instructions that must be followed
6. social media
Answer: (c) Websites and apps where people can connect and share information
7. separate
Answer: (g) To keep things apart or not together
8. license
Answer: (e) Permission to do something legally
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why is TikTok stopping its online shopping service in Indonesia?
Answer: (d) The Indonesian government made new rules to protect local retailers.
2. What did the Indonesian government say TikTok had to do?
Answer: (a) Separate its shopping feature from its video sharing service.
3. Who is Zulkifli Hasan?
Answer: (c) The trade minister of Indonesia.
4. Why did the Indonesian government want online shopping and social media to be kept separate?
Answer: (a) To protect local retailers.
5. Which platforms control Indonesia’s online shopping market?
Answer: (d) Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada.
6. How many TikTok users are there in Indonesia?
Answer: (b) More than 125 million.
7. Who makes money by promoting things on TikTok Shop?
Answer: (c) Creators.
8. Where else has TikTok faced problems?
Answer: (b) The US, European Union, and the UK.
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Indonesia was the first country to try out TikTok’s online shopping feature, and it became very popular there. (Answer: True)
2. TikTok has decided to follow the new rules and will no longer allow people to buy things on TikTok Shop in Indonesia. (Answer: True)
3. The government demanded that TikTok integrate its shopping feature with its video sharing service. (Answer: False)
4. The Indonesian government implemented new rules to protect local retailers, which led to TikTok’s decision. (Answer: True)
5. TikTok, a popular social media app, is expanding its online shopping service in Indonesia. (Answer: False)
6. Online shopping has declined significantly in Indonesia, and the country’s central bank predicts a substantial decrease in online sales in the coming years. (Answer: False)
7. The trade minister of Indonesia believes that online shopping and social media should be kept separate. (Answer: True)
8. Compliance with the new rules could result in TikTok losing its license to operate in Indonesia. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
