Kenyan MPs and public are debating whether TikTok should be banned in response to a petition.
Bob Ndolo, a Kenyan, presented the petition, which was discussed in the Kenyan parliament on Tuesday.
Mr. Ndolo requested that TikTok be made illegal, expressing worries that the platform imperils Kenya’s cultural and religious values.
The petitioner added that TikTok’s lax regulation in Kenya was to blame for the rise in abusive and inappropriate content on the platform.
According to Moses Wetangula, speaker of the Kenyan parliament, “the petition decries that while TikTok has grown in popularity among young people in Kenya, the content that is being shared on the platform is inappropriate, thus promoting violence, explicit sexual content, hate speech, vulgar language, and offensive behaviour, which is a serious threat to the cultural and religious values of Kenya.”
Mr. Ndolo continued by saying that the ban will protect Kenyans from the detrimental impacts of TikTok, such as addiction, which could impair kids’ academic performance and mental health. Mr. Ndolo also raised worry that the app might be gathering or disclosing personal information on Kenyans without their consent.
The proposed ban has received support from certain MPs and civilians, but others contend that it will hinder Kenya’s technology advancement and have an adverse financial impact on countless young Kenyans who make content for TikTok.
Instead of outright banning the platform, other politicians, including the majority leader in parliament Kimani Ichung’wah, have suggested stronger content regulations.