The latest in international moves to regulate popular social media platform TikTok comes from Kenya, with its Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki expressing deep concerns to the Public Petitions Committee of the National Assembly. Kindiki claims that platforms like TikTok pose threats to public safety and security in Kenya, as they are frequently leveraged by criminals to disseminate malicious content, spread propaganda, carry out identity theft, and perpetrate various fraud schemes – link.
Kindiki further expressed concerns that the ease with which such criminal activity takes place is facilitated by media platform’s questionable data processing policies. Therefore, he asserted, the Kenyan government has reached out directly to TikTok through the national Data Protection Commissioner. The government has demanded evidence of TikTok’s compliance not only with the 2019 Data Protection Act, but also other relevant Kenyan laws. Furthermore, TikTok is to explain the effectiveness of its age verification and content filtering systems, as well as implement additional, Kenya-specific privacy policies.
Such pressures are by no means unique to Kenya. Other countries have already taken actions against the video-sharing platform. For instance, Canada banned TikTok from being installed on government-issued mobile devices early in 2023. In November, the app was banned nationwide in Nepal due to its “negative effects on social harmony and goodwill.” The European Commission also opened formal proceedings against TikTok in February for potential breaches of EU regulations set up to protect online service users – link. As recent as last week, the US House of Representatives approved a bill that could result in the platform being banned in the US.
As per the details available, the Kenyan government is determined to “enforce the law through the issuance of directives, orders, and requirements” with respect to the digital use and online platforms, such as Tiktok. For more comprehensive information, you can refer to the detailed report available here.