4 Homegrown Indonesian Social Media Platforms Worth Joining
Meet four lesser-known Indonesian social media platforms, Sebangsa, Kwikku, Keepo.me and MindTalk, and see what features each app offers its users.
The government's regulation of over-the-top (OTT) service providers gives Indonesian social media a better chance to grow at home. The government urges OTT companies such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to set up a formal business entity in Indonesia. The aim is to help Indonesian social media grow rapidly in the years ahead.
If those OTT companies do not comply with the regulation, they must be ready to leave Indonesia. If they really do leave, Indonesians can turn to homegrown social media such as the following.
- Sebangsa
Launched in August 2014 in Yogyakarta, this Indonesian social media platform has several standout features, such as Sebangsa 911, which lets users ask for help and work together to share emergency information. The second feature is Sebangsa 1800, which can be used to ask questions, send complaints, give suggestions and review a service or product.
- Kwikku
This Indonesian social media platform, created by two students of UIN Malang (the State Islamic University of Malang), was built to break the success of Twitter and Facebook. Kwikku also aims to make purchases easier for its users by providing tokens that can be used to buy anything on Kwikku. The platform also lets users create their own emoticons. A Kwikku Pro service is available too for users who do not want to be disturbed by ads.
- Keepo.me
This Indonesian social media platform was introduced to the public in 2012 and adopted microblogging features. Keepo.me is an Indonesian social network that focuses on its users' interests. Users of Keepo.me can become content creators and build small media outlets to communicate with others who share the same interests.
- MindTalk
MindTalk was first conceived in 2011 and introduced to Indonesians a year later. Users of this Indonesian social media platform can follow the interest channels already available on MindTalk, from photography, technology, fashion and celebrities to health, business and marketing.
The platforms above are all made in Indonesia, and each serves a different purpose. So what are you waiting for? Help these Indonesian social networks thrive so they don't fall behind Twitter and Facebook. It would be a point of pride if one of Indonesia's products made it onto the international stage.
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