Somalia’s Minister of Communications, Jama Hassan Khalif, recently declared a ban on popular video app TikTok, as well as messaging platform Telegram and betting website 1XBet. The ban was attributed to concerns about these platforms hosting indecent content and facilitating the dissemination of “horrific” messages by terrorists to the public.
In an official statement, Khalif ordered internet companies to halt the use of these applications, which have been exploited by immoral groups and terrorists to share disturbing imagery and misinformation.
This action comes shortly after Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, announced plans to launch a military operation against the terrorist organization al Shabaab, with the goal of eradicating the group within five months.
TikTok has faced restrictions in various western countries due to data privacy worries. Owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, TikTok has been accused of sharing user data with the Chinese government. Numerous U.S. federal agencies have banned TikTok on government devices, and the state of Montana has extended the ban to both government employees and residents.
Several countries, including New Zealand, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, have also implemented similar bans to limit TikTok’s use on government-owned devices.