Somalia bans TikTok, Telegram over ‘horrific content’

Somalia’s Minister of Communications, Jama Hassan Khalif on Sunday announced a ban on popular video app, TikTok.

The ban was also issued on messaging platform, Telegram and betting website, 1XBet.

In the press release, Khalif stated that the said apps were responsible for indecent content, and helping terrorists spread “horrific” messages to the public, Reuters reports.

The statement read in part, “The minister of communications orders internet companies to stop the aforementioned applications, which terrorists and immoral groups use to spread constant horrific images and misinformation to the public.”
The move comes days after the country’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, announced preparations to launch a military offensive against the terrorist group al Shabaab and eliminate them within the next five months.

Several western countries have issued restrictions against the use of TikTok due to data privacy concerns in the past months. The app, owned by Chinese company Bytedance, has been accused of sharing user’s data with the Chinese government.

A number of federal agencies in the United States have banned the use of the app on government-issued devices. However the state of Montana has issued a complete ban for both government workers and residents.


New Zealand, the European Union, United Kingdom, Denmark, and many others have also implemented similar bans to restrict the app on government-owned devices.





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