Govt Issues Orders To TikTok After BBC Exposé

The government, through the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), has ordered TikTok to delete all sexual content involving minors in Kenya on their platform.

CA issued a statement on Thursday, March 6, in response to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) titled "TikTok Profiting from Sexual Livestreams in Kenya Involving Children", published on March 3, 2025.

The report alleged the involvement of minors in the sale of sexual content via live streams on TikTok, with the platform reportedly retaining a significant commission from the content.

According to CA, the allegations raise serious issues regarding the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, including children, and the adequacy of content moderation on digital platforms operating within Kenya.

"Kenya has robust laws in place to address online child protection. The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018, criminalizes online child exploitation and prescribes penalties for offenders. The Films and Stage Plays Act (Cap 222) mandates the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) to regulate and classify content to protect minors, while the Children Act (Cap 141) aligns with international standards on child rights and protection. Additionally, the Data Protection Act (Cap 411C) demands that the personal data of children is safeguarded from exploitation," CA stated in part.

"Our laws are in full alignment with international instruments, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), particularly Article 34 on protection from sexual exploitation, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Child Online Protection Guidelines."

CA reiterated its mandate to regulate the communications sector, promote fair practices and safeguard the public against harmful or illegal content. "The allegations contained in the report by the BBC constitute a violation of Kenyan and international laws and regulations governing online conduct and the protection of children," added the statement.

"In 2023, the Government of Kenya directed TikTok to address its apparent content moderation challenges. TikTok committed to enhancing regulatory oversight and establishing a local office to coordinate operations in Kenya. These new allegations suggest that significant gaps remain in the platform's enforcement of its own policies against solicitation and exploitation."

In light of this report, CA immediately directed TikTok to actively pull down all sexual content involving minors on their platform, including on livestreams.

The Authority also announced that it will launch a formal inquiry into the allegations raised in the report in collaboration with the relevant government agencies to identify any breaches of the law, adding that it will not hesitate to issue sanctions.

CA further directed TikTok to explain how offensive content is able to bypass its content moderation mechanisms, stating that TikTok must also present a plan to show how they intend to enhance these mechanisms to strengthen child protection and prevent exploitation of minors on the platform and demonstrate compliance with Kenyan and international law.

"Intensifying efforts to educate the public, particularly parents and guardians, on Child Online Protection and on the safe use of digital platforms such as promotion of use of parental control tools and safe internet usage practices," added CA.

Meanwhile, parents were encouraged to use various tools to protect their children from exploitation on online platforms. Information on the control tools can be accessed through https://cop.ke-cirt.go.ke/.

On February 6, TikTok announced that it deleted over 334,000 videos from its platform during the third quarter of 2024 for violating its Community Guidelines, a move aimed at reinforcing its safety measures in Kenya.

In its Q3 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report released on Thursday, February 6, the video-sharing platform revealed that 88.9% of these videos were taken down before any views, while 93% were removed within 24 hours of posting.

A person using TikTok. /NPR