Kenya Says No To TikTok Ban, Opts For Strict Rules & Creator Payments

Kenyan lawmakers have rejected calls for a blanket ban on TikTok, instead backing sweeping new regulations that would force the platform to store user data locally, overhaul its content moderation systems, and introduce direct payments to creators.

Parliament’s decision, following a petition urging a nationwide ban over concerns about explicit content, child exploitation, and national security, positions Kenya among a growing number of countries seeking to tame global social media giants through structural oversight rather than prohibition.

“The motion before the House is not for banning TikTok; it is for the regulation of TikTok,” Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said during the debate, pushing back against misinformation surrounding the proceedings.

Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie urged colleagues to treat the matter as a policy issue rather than a moral crusade. “This motion must be seen as a policy debate, not a moral panic,” he said.

The platform’s popularity in Kenya has soared alongside enforcement challenges. Between July and September 2025, TikTok removed more than 580,000 videos posted in Kenya for violating its community guidelines, with 99.7% taken down proactively before any user reported them and 94.6% deleted within 24 hours.

Around 90,000 livestreams were interrupted during the same period for breaching content standards, representing about 1% of all streams.

The regulatory framework endorsed by MPs targets several key areas. Platforms would be required to establish local infrastructure so Kenyan user data is stored within the country, addressing sovereignty and national security concerns as most data currently sits on overseas servers.

TikTok’s AI moderation systems would face audits, with requirements that algorithms be trained in local languages and dialects, addressing complaints that automated systems miss offensive vernacular content.

Lawmakers also urged TikTok to roll out direct monetisation features in Kenya, allowing creators to earn from their content. Currently, only brand collaborations and gift features are available.

In TikTok’s first year of commercial operations in Kenya, over 200 local creators collectively earned more than USD 350 K through brand deals, though the platform’s Creator Rewards Program remains unavailable in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some Kenyan creators now earn between KES 50 K and KES 300 K monthly through brand partnerships and live gifts.

The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of ICT have been directed to implement the framework within four months, with amendments planned to the Kenya Information and Communications Act to empower the Communications Authority as the lead regulator. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner will audit compliance with Kenya’s Data Protection Act.

The approach stands in contrast to Australia’s world-first ban on under-16s, which has already led to the deactivation of millions of accounts, while Egypt is considering a similar move. But Kenyan lawmakers deliberately chose a different path, arguing that banning platforms merely pushes problems elsewhere while forfeiting economic opportunity.