Meta, TikTok, X to face mandatory illegal online activity reports in Kenya – Business Daily

Time flies with great content! Renew in to keep enjoying all our premium content. Prime Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, China’s TikTok and X, owned by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, are among the most widely used social media platforms in Kenya. By  Dennis Musau Technology CorrespondentNation Media GroupSocial media firms, including Meta, TikTok and X, will be required to file reports on illegal activities on their platforms with the Kenyan government, as part of proposed changes aimed at holding tech giants accountable under domestic laws.A new proposal by the ICT ministry seeks to introduce a requirement for content-sharing apps and other online platforms operating in the country to report activities such as sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and impersonation to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).This brings social media giants under tighter scrutiny as the government seeks to hold platforms serving Kenyan users accountable under local laws, even when their operators are foreign-based.“Insert a new section 85C in the principal Act to provide for the regulation of digital platforms. The proposed section requires a provider to… report unlawful activity and the remedial steps taken, and comply with the relevant laws of Kenya,” reads the Kenya Information and Communication Amendment Bill 2026.“The proposed section is intended to protect users in Kenya, enhance online safety and ensure that providers delivering services to users in Kenya are accountable under Kenyan law.”The Bill defines a digital platform as “an online environment that facilitates interactions, transactions and content sharing among users,” while a provider is a person who operates such a platform.Read: Security or surveillance? How amended cyber law could reshape Kenya’s online space The proposed new section in the Kenya Information and Communications Act will require platform operators to notify the CA of their particulars and the services offered.The regulator would be required to maintain a register of digital platforms used by Kenyans, receive and facilitate the resolution of user complaints, and monitor compliance among platform providers.Providers like Meta, which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, would be required to ensure the availability and safety of their platforms and publish the policies and terms governing their use.“The proposed section requires a provider to ensure the availability and safety of its service, publish the policies, terms and conditions governing the use of its service, establish a complaint redress mechanism,” the Bill states.Some illegal online activities under Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act include cyberbullying and harassment, offences that attract fines of up to Sh20 million or imprisonment.Most social media platforms also prohibit sexual exploitation, human trafficking, abuse of children and adults, harassment, and doxing – publishing someone’s private information online without their consent.Other activities that could fall under the regime include digital piracy involving the unauthorised sharing of copyrighted films, electronic newspapers, music, software and subscription codes, as well as identity theft, impersonation, cyber fraud, phishing campaigns and the sharing of terrorist or extremist content.Some platforms, including TikTok, already publish periodic transparency reports detailing the number of videos removed and accounts suspended for violating their terms of service.The proposed law would, however, create a statutory obligation to report such activity and the remedial action taken to the CA.Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, China’s TikTok and X, owned by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, are among the most widely used social media platforms in Kenya.The government has previously considered requiring social media companies to establish local offices to improve oversight of their operations, although this requirement is absent from the latest Bill.Google, the owner of YouTube, and Microsoft, which owns LinkedIn, have physical offices in Nairobi.In 2023, TikTok agreed to establish a Nairobi office following pressure from Parliament over concerns about explicit content on the platform.→[email protected]Follow our WhatsApp channel for the latest business and markets updates.Don’t have an account? Register If you have an Ad-blocker please disable it and reload the page or try again later. Nation Media Group © 2026 source