Government Concerns Over TikTok’s Compliance with Privacy Laws and Spread of Harmful Content

Kenya Raises Concerns Over TikTok’s Compliance with Privacy Laws

In a recent development, Kenya’s Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki has raised concerns over popular social media platform TikTok’s compliance with privacy laws. According to Reuters, the minister highlighted worries about the platform being used for spreading propaganda, engaging in fraud, and distributing inappropriate content.

“The government, through the office of the Data Protection Commissioner, has contacted TikTok and raised concerns relating to its processing activities,” Kindiki told a parliamentary committee.

Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has yet to respond to the request for comment. The platform has previously defended itself against accusations of sharing data with the Chinese government and collecting more user data than other social media companies. TikTok maintains that it operates independently and does not hold data in China.

Kindiki pointed out that criminals have exploited the platform to spread malicious propaganda, engage in identity theft, and perpetrate fraud through fake forex trades and job recruitments. These activities have caused distress among users, exposed minors to inappropriate content, and promoted discord among citizens.

This demand for compliance with privacy laws reflects a global trend where social media platforms face increasing scrutiny from regulators to protect users from harmful content and exploitation by criminals. Countries like India and Italy have taken action against TikTok over privacy and security concerns, with the US House of Representatives passing a bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States.

In response to these developments, Canada has also announced restrictions on TikTok, prohibiting government-issued devices from using the application due to privacy and security risks. With governments around the world taking a closer look at TikTok’s operations, the platform faces growing challenges to ensure compliance with privacy laws and protect users from potential harm.