Kenyan authorities have ordered TikTok to remove sexually suggestive content involving minors following an investigative report that exposed cases of child exploitation on the platform.
The report, published on Monday, revealed that TikTok was profiting from livestreams featuring Kenyan teenagers as young as 15 engaging in explicit acts.
In response, the Communications Authority of Kenya announced on Thursday that it had launched a formal inquiry and warned that it “will not hesitate to issue sanctions” if the Chinese-owned social media platform is found in violation of the law.
Crackdown on Online Child Exploitation
Kenya’s legal framework strictly prohibits the online exploitation of minors. Earlier this week, a Dutch national was sentenced to 10 years in prison for exposing children to pornographic material through WhatsApp.
The regulatory body has also demanded an explanation from TikTok on how such offensive content managed to bypass its moderation mechanisms.
Growing Scrutiny of TikTok
TikTok is the third most popular social media platform in Kenya, following Facebook and WhatsApp. Known for its short-video format, the app has attracted millions of young users worldwide, with over one billion active accounts.
The platform has been under growing scrutiny globally. In the United States, TikTok has faced allegations of espionage, while the European Union is investigating claims that it was used to influence Romania’s presidential election in favor of a far-right candidate.
Additionally, several governments have banned the use of TikTok by state employees due to security concerns.