Somalia Bans TikTok, Telegram Over Content Concerns

Facts

• Somalia's Communications Minister Jama Hassan Khalif on Sunday announced a ban on TikTok and the messaging app Telegram to stop the alleged spread of indecent content, including "horrific" images and misinformation.¹
• The decision requiring the compliance of private telecom companies — which will take effect on Aug. 24 — is the first official attempt by the Somali government to shut down any social media platform.²
• Members of the al-Qaeda-linked armed group al-Shabab regularly post about their activities on the apps. The ban also covers the online gambling platform 1XBet, which is popular in the country, especially for betting on soccer matches.³
• This comes as Somali Pres. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud plans to launch the second phase of the military offensive against the militant group that has waged insurgency against Mogadishu for 15 years.⁴
• Telegram has responded to the news, saying the site actively moderates harmful content and consistently removes terrorist propaganda, while TikTok declined to comment. Content creators have meanwhile expressed concern about losing a source of income.⁵
• The US has flirted with banning TikTok over its alleged affiliation with the Chinese Communist government — the state of Montana became the first to ban the app in May.³

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²ABC News, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴Africa News, and ⁵DW.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by VOA. TikTok and Telegram have become a haven for al-Shabab and other terrorist groups to spread propaganda and engage in cyber warfare against Somalia. Not only is TikTok a vulgar app that exposes people, especially vulnerable minors, to awful and indecent content, but it is also a national security threat. These applications provide no good for society — the government was right to step in and ban them.
• Narrative B, as provided by WION. While the Somali government may act like TikTok has no worth and is only a net negative for society, it is overlooking the value the app brings to many people's lives. Many Somalis rely on the app as a form of income and need the platform just to afford their essentials. Like anything, moderation is key, and the government could have found a way to regulate TikTok without resorting to an outright ban.

Predictions