TikTok has appointed a Kenyan among eight members of its inaugural Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council, as the popular short-video platform moves to boost safety protocols and policies.
- During its safety summit in Nairobi, the platform announced the appointment of Lilian Kariuki, the founder and executive director of child-focused NGO Watoto Watch Network, to the council.
- Other members include Prof Guy Berger (South Africa), Dennis Coffie (Ghana), Peter Cunliffe-Jones (UK), Aisha Dabo (Senegal), Dr. Akinola Olojo (Nigeria), Prof Medhane Tadesse (Ethiopia), and Berhan Taye (Ethiopia).
- The council is the ninth such body, in addition to the US Content Advisory Council, established by TikTok, with each focused on addressing regional safety concerns.
“This group of leaders was chosen for their broad range of expertise and experience, and we look forward to working with them over the coming years.” Valiant Richey, Global Head of Outreach and Partnerships, Trust and Safety, TikTok, said while making the announcement.
TikTok has been moving to address concerns from different countries about safety on its platform, as well as the safety of data. Its a widespread popularity -more than half of Kenyan respondents to a recent Reuters’ study use the platform- and Chinese ownership have further complicated the platform’s relationship with regulators. ByteDance is currently staring at a ban in the US if it does not divest from the platform in the country, and it has been fined in other countries for everything ranging from data safety to inadequate content controls.
In May, the government recommended co-regulating the platform in Kenya, which would see TikTok screen content and file reports every quarter, instead of banning it.
