Kenyan parliament thrashes out petition to ban Tik-Tok in the country

A petition asking for the government of Kenya to ban the popular social media site TikTok was rejected by the Kenyan parliament. The petitioner claims that TikTok is a significant factor in the country of East Africa’s loss of morals and cultural eroding. However, the parliament holds the opinion that they cannot defeat technology.

Kimani Ichung’wa, the majority leader in the parliament, claimed that because the app has given the majority of young people work, the government cannot impose a ban on it. He said that banning the applications will effectively ruin the careers of many young people because they are a crucial component of the government’s efforts to create jobs.

“The petitioner should seek information on how to control how the app is used, the age ranges that users can access it, and the content that is published for that audience. Outright banning the app would end the online career of many young people who are making a living off of it. These applications are a part of the government initiative where young people may make money by producing content for TikTok and Snap Chat.

A prominent businessman, Bob Ndolo, the Executive Officer of Bridget Connect Consultancy, presented the petition to the parliament. The petition voiced concern over the fact that, despite the app’s growing popularity among young people in the country, the platform’s content is inappropriate.

Ndolo claimed that the material challenges cultural and religious values by encouraging violence, explicit sexual content, hate speech, obscene language, and inappropriate behavior.

He claimed that it is difficult to monitor the information posted on TikTok because the Communications Authority of Kenya does not regulate internet use in the nation. Ndolo said in his petition that problems had arisen as a result of TikTok’s invasion of children’s privacy.

Members of Kenya’s parliament voted against the TikTok ban.

Several other lawmakers spoke out against the prohibition. Njeri Maina, a Kirinyaga Woman Representative, emphasized the high unemployment rate in Kenya, particularly among young people. She made the suggestion in response to this worry that, although lawmakers cannot outlaw TikTok, they do have the authority to monitor and control the information published on the platform.

Irene Mayaka, a candidate for the position of MP, emphasized that outlawing the app’s use in Kenya wouldn’t resolve the issues mentioned by the petitioner. She clarified that people could still access information from applications in other countries even using solutions like Virtual Private Networks (VPN). She consequently recommended parents keep an eye on what their kids are doing online.

Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino emphasized that while morality cannot be regulated by the government, it also cannot be fostered in a conducive environment. He insisted that choosing how to handle the matter required doing a careful balancing act.

According to reports, the committee would evaluate Bob Ndolo’s plea and render a decision after 60 days.

Kenyan government officials and social media users

A few months ago, Kenyan social media content creators criticized William Ruto’s administration for choosing to impose a 15% withholding tax on revenue generated from the monetization of digital material. One of the many changes envisioned for the Finance Bill is the notion of taxing content producers in Kenya. A 15% tax will be applied to money made from monetizing a creator’s content.

Alex Mathenge, a well-known comedian and content producer, said he had no objections to paying taxes, but the government hasn’t done anything to give content producers the freedom to do so. He responded, “You cannot milk a cow that you have not given grass to.”

He continued by saying that the government must first create an atmosphere that supports those working in the digital economy before it considers taxing content creators.

Mohammed Assad Alby, a different TikTok celebrity, claimed that since jobs are hard to come by in Kenya, many young people have turned to content creation as a unique way to generate money. However, he did caution that making money in the sector is challenging.

The benefit of social media for career opportunities

All social media networks, not just career-focused ones like LinkedIn, are beneficial for obtaining a job. In order to screen applications, many firms use social media networks to collect personal data from users. Social networking can be helpful when looking for work if handled appropriately.

Due to the growth of internet networking in South Africa, companies are now using social media for marketing, advertising, and even hiring. Job seekers might benefit from social media platforms, such as websites and applications for networking and sharing material. By reviewing their profiles, these platforms help match potential employers with contemporary job seekers.

More than 60% of employers who check applicants’ social media profiles do so to determine how professionally they present themselves. While 45% of them are interested in learning more about the candidate’s qualifications, about half of them want to know if they will fit in with the business culture. While the majority of employers don’t go looking for negative comments on purpose, more than half of them have stated that they have seen information on social media that led them to deny an interview with the applicant.

Major contributing variables include provocative or inappropriate imagery, signs of alcohol or drug use, discriminatory words, evidence of negative comments made about previous employees, and poor communication skills.

If social media usage is adequately managed, the risk is worthwhile. Many companies are less likely to interview job candidates who cannot be located online, thus job seekers cannot delete all of their accounts. Social networking can be effectively used to a job seeker’s advantage.

Author

Samson Ayodeji

I am literally obsessed with technology. I love writing about the latest news in technology in different markets, segments and sectors across the world.

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