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Kenya tells TikTok to show it is complying with privacy laws

Kenya tells TikTok to show it is complying with privacy laws

KENYA has demanded that TikTok show it is adhering to local privacy and user verification laws, the interior minister said, saying the platform has been used to spread propaganda, carry out fraud and distribute sexual content. TikTok and other social media companies are under pressure from regulators around the world to shield users from harmful content and criminals who take advantage of the sites. "The government, through the office of the Data Protection Commissioner, has contacted TikTok and raised concerns relating to its processing activities," Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki told a parliamentary committee. TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company…
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Music from Africa rising on global charts, with help from TikTok

Music from Africa rising on global charts, with help from TikTok

WHEN the biggest names in music gather for the industry's top honours at the Grammy Awards, they will hand out a new trophy for best African music performance. The prize reflects the growing popularity of Afrobeats, and other music from the continent, which is gaining a global audience with help from social media platforms such as short-form video app TikTok. Afrobeats originated in West Africa, primarily Ghana and Nigeria, though the term is often used as a catch-all for various music styles coming from Africa. It features percussion rhythms mixed with various genres from rap to jazz, R&B and others.…
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Senegal seeks regulation deal with TikTok after ban

Senegal seeks regulation deal with TikTok after ban

SENEGALESE authorities refused to lift a ban on the social media app TikTok as they demanded that the company sign an agreement that would allow the creation of a mechanism to remove accounts. "For the time being, the restriction is being maintained pending the conclusion of a comprehensive written agreement," communications minister Moussa Bocar Thiam told a press conference, adding that authorities were in discussions with TikTok. Authorities blocked access to TikTok in August following the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, saying the platform was being used to distribute "hateful and subversive messages" that were threatening the stability of the country.…
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Top Nigerian striker threatens legal action against Napoli

Top Nigerian striker threatens legal action against Napoli

NAPOLI striker Victor Osimhen's agent said he "reserves the right to take legal action" against the club after a video mocking the player was posted and then deleted from the Serie A side's official TikTok on Tuesday. Roberto Calenda released a statement on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the video caused "very serious damage to the player". "What happened today on Napoli's official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted," said Calenda. "We reserve the right to take legal action and any…
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State of the news: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa push African countries high up the media trust ladder, TikTok advancing rapidly

State of the news: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa push African countries high up the media trust ladder, TikTok advancing rapidly

ACCORDING to the recently released Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023, Kenya has the second-highest level of trust in the news of all countries included in the global report. At 63%, Kenyans' trust in the news is remarkably high, surpassed only by Finland (at 69%). Kenyan commercial TV outlets are that country's most trusted news sources, alongside the Daily Nation newspaper and its associated website, according to the report. Portugal ranked third with a score of 58%, while Nigeria and South Africa tied for fourth place with 57% each, according to the twelfth edition of the report, published by the…
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TikTok says US threatens ban if Chinese owners don’t sell stakes

TikTok says US threatens ban if Chinese owners don’t sell stakes

ECHO WANG and DAVID SHEPARDSON THE Biden administration has demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes in the popular video app or face a possible U.S. ban, the company told Reuters. The move is the most dramatic in a series of recent steps by U.S. officials and legislators who have raised fears that TikTok's U.S. user data could be passed on to China's government. ByteDance-owned TikTok has more than 100 million U.S. users. It is also the first time under the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden that a potential ban on TikTok has been threatened. Biden's predecessor, Republican…
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TikTok a potential target in upcoming US bill to ban some foreign tech – Senator

TikTok a potential target in upcoming US bill to ban some foreign tech – Senator

TWO U.S. senators plan to introduce legislation this week aimed at letting the government "ban or prohibit" foreign technology products such as Chinese-owned TikTok, Senator Mark Warner said. Warner, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said TikTok would be "one of the potentials" for review under the bill. The Democratic senator made the comments on Fox News Sunday. The bill comes at a time when TikTok is under intensifying pressure over concerns that data about U.S. users could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday to give President…
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Exclusive: White House sets deadline for purging TikTok from federal devices

Exclusive: White House sets deadline for purging TikTok from federal devices

DAVID SHEPARDSON The White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure they do not have the Chinese-owned app TikTok on federal devices and systems. In a bid to keep U.S. data safe, all federal agencies must eliminate TikTok from phones and systems and prohibit internet traffic from reaching the company, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young told agencies in a guidance memorandum seen by Reuters. The ban, ordered by Congress late last year, follows similar actions from Canada, the EU, Taiwan and more than half of U.S. states. The device ban — while impacting a tiny portion of TikTok's…
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TikTok awards top creators in Africa

TikTok awards top creators in Africa

BIRD STORY AGENCY FORMER rugby player turned food vlogger Dennis Ombachi, also known as @theroamingchef, emerged victorious at the inaugural TikTok Top Creator 2022 Awards. The Kenyan content creator, known for his culinary exploits, took home the Africa Winner award, while the runner-up was Nigerian comedian Charity Ekezie (@charityekezie). The awards hosted in Nairobi saw winners walk away with #TopCreator2022 trophies across various categories. The ceremony followed a highly competitive, eight-day-long public voting process on the app. According to a statement by TikTok Africa, the inaugural award "recognises and awards content creators across Sub-Saharan Africa for the immense talent and…
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U.S. lawmakers include ban on TikTok on government devices in spending proposal

U.S. lawmakers include ban on TikTok on government devices in spending proposal

DAVID SHEPARDSON U.S. lawmakers included a proposal to bar federal government employees from using the Chinese app TikTok on government-owned devices in a key spending bill. The Senate last week voted on a bill sponsored by Republican Senator Josh Hawley to bar federal employees from using the ByteDance-owned short video app on government-owned devices. It was the latest action by U.S. lawmakers to crack down on Chinese companies amid national security fears. The ban is in a massive omnibus measure to fund U.S. government operations that is expected to be voted on this week. The bill gives the White House Office of Management…
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