Indonesian Parents Seek Refund After Child Spends Rp. 400 Million on TikTok Gifts
Jakarta,Indonesia – A family in Japan is seeking a refund from TikTok and Apple after their child spent approximately 400 million rupiah (roughly $26,000 USD) on virtual gifts for TikTok creators. The case highlights growing concerns about children’s unrestricted spending on digital platforms and the responsibility of tech companies to protect young users.
The parents reportedly discovered the massive spending after receiving a bill from apple, where the purchases were made through the app Store. While Apple Japan has offered a partial refund of 900,000 yen (approximately Rp. 104 million), Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, has yet to respond to the family’s request for reimbursement.This incident is part of a wider trend of children accumulating meaningful debts through in-app purchases, raising questions about parental controls and platform safeguards.Similar cases have surfaced globally. In 2023, a 13-year-old in China spent 449,500 yuan (around Rp. 1 billion) on a virtual game and account. In 2021, an 11-year-old in England racked up 2,400 pounds (around Rp. 53 million) in Roblox purchases over five days.More recently, in March 2025, an 8-year-old in England spent 8,500 pounds (around rp. 187.7 million) within Apple’s App Store over three months. A 12-year-old in Canada reportedly spent nearly $12,000 USD (around Rp. 197.3 million) on TikTok coins to boost likes and followers.
These incidents underscore the need for improved parental control features and increased accountability from digital platforms to prevent similar financial burdens on families. The outcome of the Japanese case could set a precedent for how tech companies address such issues in the future.