Kenyan lawmakers will investigate the use of TikTok in the East African nation after they received a petition demanding the social media platform be banned for being “inappropriate.”
Tiktok is unsuitable because it allegedly promotes “violence, explicit sexual content, hate speech, vulgar language and offensive behavior, which is a serious threat to the cultural and religious values of Kenya,” Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said in a letter to lawmakers, citing petitioner Bob Ndolo, a private citizen.
“The petitioner is concerned that if the platform is not prohibited in Kenya, the app’s addictive nature would lead to a decline in academic performance and ascend in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation among the youth,” Wetang’ula said.
The popular app, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide, continues to face potential bans in its major markets including the US and the European Union. In the US, lawmakers have proposed multiple bills that could block the app, and the Federal government still has an outstanding security review on its data privacy practices
Kenya’s speaker asked the house’s Public Petitions Committee to look into the matter. The group usually has 60 days to report back, and the issue is then debated or thrown out depending on its recommendations.
