TikTok has turned out to be a sensation among Kenyan youth but, like in other parts of the world, attracted criticism amid calls for a ban. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
Chinese social media platform TikTok will be required to publish compliance reports every three months as Kenya seeks to control the influence of the site, which is blamed for promoting explicit sexual content and violence.
Kenya's Ministry of ICT told lawmakers that this is part of the plan to address the negative effects linked to TikTok, instead of banning it from the country.
The government, under pressure to rein in TikTok, says that the social media platform will now be required to show content taken down and reasons for the same.
“To necessitate easy community reporting TikTok is required to share quarterly compliance reports with the Ministry clearly showing content taken down and reasons for the same,” ICT Principal Secretary John Tanui told lawmakers on Tuesday.
“I urge that we choose regulation instead of a complete ban and seek your support towards the proposed regulations.”
Mr Tanui added that banning the platform will hurt scores of Kenyan youth and entrepreneurs using TikTok to generate content and advertise their businesses.
The quarterly reports mark the start of a wider plan by Kenya to start regulating social media platforms to address concerns on addiction, mental health, data privacy, misinformation, child online safety and data security.
TikTok has turned out to be a sensation among Kenyan youth but, like in other parts of the world, attracted criticism amid calls for a ban. India, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand and UK have banned TikTok.
A report by Reuters Institute Digital News shows that Kenya led in the use of TikTok, with 54 percent of the sampled population using it for general purpose and 29 percent relying on the platform for news.
The move to compel TikTok publish the compliance reports every three months comes weeks after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki disclosed that government workers will be regulated on how they use the site.
Prof Kindiki said that the National Security Council will in the coming days decide on whether or not to ban public officials from using TikTok, in a bid to protect Kenya’s cyberspace from internal and external threats.
