TikTok and Telegram are to be discontinued in Somalia

TikTok, Telegram, and the gambling website 1xBet have been banned by Somalia’s Ministry of Communications and Technology, which has also issued an order to the nation’s internet service providers.

In a statement released on Sunday, Jama Hassan Khalif, the minister of communications and technology, issued the directive, citing security and counterterrorism efforts as justifications for the decision to prohibit the companies.

In accordance with the statement, social media networks are frequently used by terrorist organisations to violate public safety and stability.

Furthermore, the Ministry stated that it is trying to safeguard the moral behaviour of the Somali people when utilising communication and internet resources, which have impacted way of life and encouraged “bad practises,” according to the statement.

By Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 11:30 p.m., at the latest, Khalif ordered that the aforementioned applications be shut down. “Anyone who does not comply with this order will be subject to clear and appropriate legal measures.”

Frequently posting videos, news releases, and audio of commander interviews, the extremist group al-Shabab uses Telegram’s chat platform.

On websites and Telegram, Al-Shabab frequently updates the public within minutes of an attack. Following the removal of their Telegram accounts, the organisation frequently creates new accounts.

The fastest-growing website in Somalia, according to reports, is TikTok. Even government representatives and young people utilise it.

The platform’s safety was the focus of a series of seminars TikTok convened with several Somali stakeholders last week, according to a statement it released online.

The statement added that over the same time period, “our team removed over 280,000 videos in Somalia that violated its guidelines.”

98.7% of these objectionable films were found and deleted by us before being reported. Our dedication to upholding a secure and lawful environment for our users is demonstrated by our proactive approach. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-africa/digital-safety-a-shared-responsibility-we-are-proud-to-prioritise

Social media users disapproved of the Ministry’s action. The order won’t be carried out, according to Abdulkadir Ali Mohamud, better known online as Bilaal Bulshaawi, who has 1.2 million TikTok followers.

The ability of the [internet] firms to permit this shutdown makes it unlikely that it will succeed, he claimed. Because it’s the most used programme and the users consume a lot of data, it’s not in the companies’ best interests to halt the services.

A prominent social media user who did not want to provide his or her name called the government’s action a “ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to a serious issue.”

They chose a blanket ban, he claimed, rather than developing guidelines for identifying immoral social media profiles. “In a typical government, the aforementioned platforms would have been contacted and communication channels would have been devised to target particular accounts. Numerous Somali superstars on TikTok who previously made a respectable life must now find other work.

In an interview with VOA Somali, Khalif defended the decision, saying the websites “hurt the state.”

These websites are being abused, he claimed, and have led to security issues as well as the promotion of immoral behaviour. They are being used to undermine society’s security.

The moment is opportune to make this choice because there is such a strong demand to outlaw them.

The number of users of betting websites in Somalia was not disclosed, but the government there claimed they believed the websites were sending a significant amount of money back home.

According to Khalif, placing wagers on 1XBET even serves to divert government troops engaged in protecting the country.

We are aware of its wide-ranging use, he added.

According to him, the national government is unaware of who is responsible for these websites.

“That kind of money is not Halal (permissible); there are no taxes on it; no one knows who they are or where they come from; and it is illegal.”

Al-Shabab websites were to be blocked by internet service providers by the Somali government last year, but some of the sites are still available worldwide.

The broadcast of terrorist statements and motivating their violent deeds by any outlet or individual on social media was condemned by the federal government of Somalia as a felony. Any [person] who does not comply with this resolution would be subject to legal action, the government statement at the time stated.

The Ministry of Communication and Technology announced that it has begun a campaign to educate the public about the perils of communication and the Internet, which make it simple to spread false information that affects innocent individuals or incites the public.