Somalia's Ministry of Communications and Technology has ordered the country's Internet service providers to block access to two social networks TikTok and Telegram and gambling website 1xBet.
The Minister of Communications and Technology, Jama Hassan Khalif, introduced the ban in a statement on Sunday, August 20. The reason for this was security and anti-terrorism purposes. Mr. Khalif also cited a negative impact the platforms have on the lives of Somali youth.
Mr. Khalif said Somalia had imposed the controversial ban to "protect the ethical behavior of the Somali community when using communication tools and the Internet" .
Part of the statement is stated as follows:
“In an effort to stop the war and destroy the terrorists who unjustly sacrificed the Somali people, the minister of communications and technology has instructed Internet service providers to block TikTok applications , Telegram and 1XBET that terrorists and groups responsible for spreading immoral behavior use to spread false clips and images to the people.”
The easy accessibility of platforms has led to an increase in their use among young people, raising concerns about the possibility of negative influence and exploitation.
The Kenyan Parliament is currently considering a request to ban TikTok due to the platform's lack of regulation and concerns about obscene content appearing on this social network.