Somalia has banned popular social media app TikTok, messaging app Telegram and online-betting website, 1XBet, to stop the transmission of offensive information and propaganda.
In a statement that was released late on Sunday, Somali Minister Jama Hassan Khalif said, “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.”
Members of insurgent group al Shabaab often post about their activities on TikTok and Telegram.
The decision not long 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.
The order gave internet service providers until Aug. 24 to comply. However, TikTok, Telegram and 1XBet did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Due to worries over data privacy in recent months, a number of western nations have imposed limits on the usage of TikTok, as Bytedance, a Chinese corporation who owns TikTok, has been accused of exchanging user data with the Chinese government through the app.
The usage of the software on smartphones provided by the government is prohibited by a number of American governmental agencies. However, both citizens and employees of the government are now completely prohibited from using the app in Montana.
Similar restrictions to limit the app on smartphones controlled by the government have also been put in place by New Zealand, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and many more countries.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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