The Kenyan National Assembly is currently reviewing a petition to ban Tiktok due to concerns about lack of effective regulation and high prevalence of sexual content. The petition was submitted by Bob Ndolo, the CEO of Bridget Connect Consultancy.
Ndolo stated that the failure of the country’s communication authority to effectively control the media platform has resulted in escalated violence, hate speech and similar issues among the youths.
Ndolo’s petition also highlighted the potential negative consequences of the app’s addictive nature, including a possible decline in academic performance and an increase in mental health issues among Kenya’s young people. Additionally, he mentioned the ongoing scrutiny the company is facing in the United States, where it has been fined for unlawfully gathering and sharing data on its users’ devices, locations, and browsing history without their consent.
The news has generated different reactions in Kenya. Some people are on the side of the Ndolo “When you switch to live videos (from 10 pm onwards), you’ll see Kenyan children, men/women exposing themselves.” One Kenyan tweeted. While others believe the assembly is pursuing meaningless goals. They believe the assembly should prioritize banning pornography sites and reviving the country’s economy. “They can’t ban corruption but are so concerned with an app that some folks are depending on as a source of livelihood. They should focus on reviving industries, creating jobs for the youth and locking up those corrupt leaders. It’s an absolute garbage of an idea.” Miruthi, another Kenyan argues
The petition was heard two weeks after Kenyan’s ICT Cabinet Secretary promised to collaborate with the National Assembly to control night Tiktok live sessions. However, the assembly acknowledged that a complete ban may be unattainable given the increasing socioeconomic importance of the platform, particularly among the youth. They are working towards regulating the app instead. Jane Njeri, Kirinyaga Women Representative said, “I use Tiktok to impact the children. Young people on the platform are making a living, we cannot entirely do away with the platform. Perhaps we can prioritize regulating the social media platforms including Tiktok.”
Ndolo was advised by the Kiriyu MP to send a petition on prioritizing the regulation of social media platforms instead.
