Browsing: national security threats posed by TikTok

• Kenya’s National Security Council is currently scrutinizing cybersecurity threats posed by TikTok.
• Lawmakers are citing data privacy, cybersecurity threats, and TikTok’s potential as a primary conduit for misinformation in their push to restrict its use in government-issued devices.
• Already, TikTok is accused of cases of abuses in Kenya, including identity theft, proliferation of fraud, and spreading sexually explicit content.

Authorities in Kenya are at a cybersecurity crossroads, contemplating joining Somalia to become the second African nation to enforce TikTok ban on government-issued devices.

This move, revealed by Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki cites rising cybersecurity threats posed by social media platforms, notably TikTok, within the corridors of Kenya’s National Security Council (NSC).

The NSC’s concerns are not unfounded. Globally, TikTok, a video-sharing platform, faces heightened scrutiny over data privacy, cybersecurity threats, and its potential as a primary conduit for misinformation.

Already, countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, and the …