If you are a civil servant in Kenya, you may soon no longer be able to use popular video app TikTok.
This is after the government through the Interior Ministry alleged that TikTok is posing a “threat” to Kenya’s national security and plans are underway for Kenya to ban civil servants from using TikTok.
Interior Ministry Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki alleges that TikTok is being used to “generate war propaganda and spread malicious and unlawful content.” He made these allegations when he appeared the Public Petitions Committee on Thursday, March 21.
“Tiktok and other social media platforms are increasingly being used to spread malicious content which is illegal and a violation of fundamental freedom,” he claimed.
Kindiki stated that the matter on restricting or banning TikTok altogether is before the National Security Council (NSC).
“We are currently dealing with this matter of TikTok as the NSC. As you know, the Interior ministry coordinates cyber security programme on behalf of the country,” Kindiki said.
“We as the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) are working with the Ministry of Defence and that of ICT to guard our cyber space from internal and external threats.”
Kindiki went on to allege that Al Shabaab was using the app to spread war propaganda and terror ideologies.
“This is happening across the globe and we are keen to stop it in Kenya before it goes out of hand,” he said, revealing that failure to comply with the Kenyan laws could result in administrative action against the giant company,” said Kindiki.
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“We should work out a program where we have a policy that is evidence-based to assess whether the risks are more prominent than the benefits.”
It is however not clear if the government’s intention to ban TikTok emanates from a genuine concern over Kenya’s national security or whether the government – which critics have claimed is leaning and adopting policies being implemented in the West – is following the West’s lead against TikTok.
It is also not clear if Kenya goes ahead to ban civil servants from using TikTok, how this ban will be effected