TikTok, the popular short video app owned by China’s ByteDance, announced its plans to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia in the coming years. This move is aimed at further establishing its presence in the region, despite growing concerns over data security. Southeast Asia is a key market for TikTok, with over 325 million monthly visitors and a population of 630 million, half of whom are under 30 years old. However, the platform has struggled to convert its large user base into substantial e-commerce revenue, facing tough competition from established players like Shopee, Lazada, and Tokopedia. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, stated during a forum in Jakarta that the company will invest in Indonesia and Southeast Asia through initiatives such as training, advertising, and supporting small vendors on its e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop. Chew also highlighted the platform’s expanding content diversity and its foray into e-commerce, enabling users to make purchases through links during livestreams. With 8,000 employees in Southeast Asia and 2 million small vendors in Indonesia, TikTok has already facilitated $4.4 billion in transactions across the region. However, it still lags behind Shopee, which recorded $48 billion in regional merchandise sales in 2022. TikTok’s investment plans come at a time when the company is under scrutiny from governments and regulators, who fear that user data could be misused by the Chinese regime. Despite facing bans in some countries, TikTok has consistently denied sharing data with the Chinese government. In Southeast Asia, the app has not faced major government device bans but has faced scrutiny over its content in countries like Indonesia and Vietnam.