Kenya Minute.
Sunday, 2 August 2026
Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Sunday, 2 August 2026
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Kenyan press · Organization

TikTok

TikTok — video-sharing social media platform operating in Kenya and globally, facing regulatory scrutiny over child safety and content moderation.

2026-04-292026-08-02

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. July 2026
  2. Citizen Digital

    | []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-m', container: 'taboola-mid-article-thumbnails', placement: 'Mid Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); Smartphone maker Nubia unveiled its NaviX Ultra, a phone powered by Doubao, China's massively popular AI chatbot tool run by TikTok

    Pocket-size AI: Powerful phones star at China show
  3. The Standard

    The young woman, who has openly admitted to earning a living by sending nude photographs to subscribers on TikTok, suddenly found herself at the centre of a national conversation; one that stretches well beyond her own story.

    From selling skin to selling souls: Inside Kenya's underground 'nude' economy
  4. Citizen Digital

    Audio By Vocalize By Christine Waweru Spend a few minutes on TikTok and you'll quickly notice that entertainment is often only the opening act.

    The marketplace internet: How Kenya's digital spaces are changing
  5. The Standard

    Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook quickly became the focus of concerns over deteriorating mental health, cyberbullying, online predators and deliberately addictive design.

    Beyond social media: Are governments regulating the wrong thing?
  6. The Standard

    "More can and must be done." Alongside the recommendations, the EU has ramped up the pressure on social media platforms to change, telling Facebook and Instagram Friday to dismantle their "addictive" features, after a similar warning to TikTok in February.The expert panel met thr

    Mulling ban, EU gets expert verdict on social media for children
  7. The Standard

    Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook quickly became the focus of concerns over deteriorating mental health, cyberbullying, online predators and deliberately addictive design.

    Beyond social media: When governments regulate the wrong thing
  8. Citizen Digital

    A quick scroll through Kenyan Instagram and TikTok pages reveals just how much the industry has evolved.

    The great beauty reset: Why more Kenyans are removing tattoos, eyebrows and gel nails
  9. Citizen Digital

    Brussels could take a risk-based approach, prohibiting features it views as harmful rather than banning platforms like Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok.

    EU moves closer to kicking kids off social media
  10. Citizen Digital

    Indonesia's Aceh flogs couple for kissing in TikTok video By AFP July 02, 2026 02:44 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize Officials in Indonesia's staunchly Islamic Aceh province publicly flogg

    Indonesia's Aceh flogs couple for kissing in TikTok video
  11. The Standard

    At the same time, Instagram discontinued its end-to-end encrypted messaging feature while introducing smaller updates, including individual captions for carousel posts and profile grid rearrangement.And TikTok has shifted its focus to creator tools, launching AI Avatars that allo

    Don't want to share number? WhatsApp has got you covered
Politics

University student charged for offensive TikTok post about President

The News

A Chuka University law student has been charged with publishing offensive information after allegedly posting a controversial video on TikTok referencing President William Ruto and his son George Ruto. The student pleaded not guilty after his defence team successfully applied for a fresh plea, arguing he was unrepresented at his initial appearance, and was released on Sh5,000 cash bail.

31 July 2026 · Capital News

Friday 31 July

  1. University student charged for offensive TikTok post about President

    A Chuka University law student has been charged with publishing offensive information after allegedly posting a controversial video on TikTok referencing President William Ruto and his son George Ruto. The student pleaded not guilty after his defence team successfully applied for a fresh plea, arguing he was unrepresented at his initial appearance, and was released on Sh5,000 cash bail.

    31 July 2026 · Capital News

Thursday 30 July

  1. Safaricom invests billions in AI to diversify beyond telecoms

    Safaricom is investing billions of shillings to embed artificial intelligence into its products and services across financial services, healthcare, content streaming, agriculture, and government payments, as part of a strategy to transition into Africa's leading AI-driven technology service provider by 2030.

    30 July 2026 · The Standard

Wednesday 29 July

  1. US university bans bonnets and durags in campus spaces

    Tuskegee University has implemented a dress code policy prohibiting students from wearing bonnets, durags, bedroom slippers, and pajama wear in academic buildings, dining facilities, and official university spaces for the 2026–2027 academic year. University President Dr. Mark A. Brown stated the policy aims to prepare students for professional environments after graduation, sparking debate on social media and in higher education circles.

    29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Friday 24 July

  1. EU accuses TikTok of inadequate child safety protections

    The European Union accused TikTok on Friday of failing to protect children, saying default account settings expose minors to cyberbullying and predatory behaviour rather than providing high-level protection automatically. The company faces potential fines for non-compliance with the Digital Services Act.

    24 July 2026 · The Standard

Thursday 23 July

  1. TikTok removes 884,591 videos in Kenya for guideline violations

    TikTok removed over 884,000 videos uploaded in Kenya in the first quarter of 2026 for violating Community Guidelines, with 99.7 per cent proactively detected before user reports. The platform also removed 48,739 accounts suspected to belong to children under 13 and interrupted 103,847 LIVE rooms for breaching guidelines during the same period.

    23 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. TikTok removes 884,000 videos in Kenya for guideline violations

    TikTok removed more than 884,000 videos in Kenya during the first quarter of 2026 for violating its Community Guidelines, with 99.7 per cent detected before users reported them. The platform also removed 48,739 accounts suspected of belonging to users under 13 and interrupted 103,847 LIVE rooms for guideline violations.

    23 July 2026 · The Standard

Wednesday 22 July

  1. France's parliament approves social media ban for under-15s

    France's Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to bar children from apps such as TikTok. President Emmanuel Macron championed the ban and pledged to enforce it by September.

    22 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Tuesday 21 July

  1. France to become first EU country banning social media for under-15s

    French lawmakers are expected to approve a bill banning social media access for children under 15, with the ban set to roll out in stages beginning September 1, when under-15s will be blocked from creating new accounts. President Macron has championed the law as a flagship reform and pledged enforcement by September, which would also include a mobile phone ban in secondary schools.

    21 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. France set to approve social media ban for under-15s

    French lawmakers are expected to approve a bill banning social media access for children under 15, making France the first European country to introduce such a digital age limit. The ban will be rolled out in stages, starting with blocking new account creation for under-15s from September 1.

    21 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Sunday 19 July

  1. Facebook outage temporarily locks thousands of Kenyan users

    Thousands of Facebook users in Kenya and across the world were temporarily locked out of their accounts on Sunday due to a widespread service disruption. Users attempting to access the platform through web browsers received a message indicating a technical issue on Facebook's end, and some also reported difficulties on the mobile application.

    19 July 2026 · Capital News

  2. AI-powered smartphones showcase at Shanghai conference

    Tech firms are rolling out advanced smartphones with AI agents that can execute tasks like ordering food and composing messages via voice command. At least three firms displayed such "agentic phones" at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, with smartphone maker Nubia unveiling its NaviX Ultra powered by ByteDance's Doubao chatbot.

    19 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Friday 17 July

  1. Kenya's underground nude economy exposed after leaked video

    A leaked video of Sheryl Gabriella, a young woman who earns income by sending nude photographs to TikTok subscribers, sparked a national conversation on Kenyan social media about the broader underground nude economy in Kenya.

    17 July 2026 · The Standard

Tuesday 14 July

  1. Kenya's social media platforms evolve into commercial marketplaces

    Social media platforms like TikTok and Telegram in Kenya have transformed from spaces for sharing moments into commercial hubs where users market themselves, build businesses, seek financial support, and sometimes exploit others. Platforms originally designed for entertainment and privacy have increasingly hosted both legitimate economic activity and criminal enterprises.

    14 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Monday 13 July

  1. Are governments regulating social media instead of broader online harms?

    An opinion piece questions whether bans on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook address the real problem of child safety online, noting that such restrictions could simply push conversations to messaging apps and gaming platforms that escape current legal definitions.

    13 July 2026 · The Standard

  2. EU expert panel delivers advice on possible social media ban for children

    An expert panel of doctors, academics, youth representatives and parents will deliver recommendations on Monday to help the European Union decide whether to ban children from social media. Greece, France and Spain have pushed for limiting minors' access, and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has tasked the panel to advise on how the bloc should address the issue, with a legal proposal expected this summer.

    13 July 2026 · The Standard

  3. Government social media bans may miss the real regulatory target

    An opinion piece examines whether banning social media for children would effectively address concerns over mental health and online safety, or whether conversations would simply shift to messaging apps and gaming platforms outside the legal definition of "social media."

    13 July 2026 · The Standard

Saturday 11 July

  1. Kenyans increasingly removing tattoos, gel nails, and microbladed eyebrows

    A growing market in Nairobi is developing around removal and reversal of past beauty decisions, as people move away from permanent or semi-permanent modifications like tattoos, tattooed eyebrows, and gel nails in favor of natural aesthetics.

    11 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Thursday 9 July

  1. EU poised to restrict children's social media access

    An expert report expected July 13 is anticipated to recommend limiting minors' access to online platforms, potentially leading to EU restrictions as early as summer. Options under consideration range from a blanket ban on under-16s to restrictions on certain services and features, following Australia's similar move.

    9 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

Thursday 2 July

  1. Aceh flogs unmarried couple for kissing in TikTok video

    Officials in Indonesia's Aceh province publicly flogged an unmarried couple on Thursday after they kissed in a video posted to TikTok. Each received 21 cane lashes in a public park in Banda Aceh, in what authorities said was the first punishment in the province for violating sharia law through social media.

    2 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. WhatsApp adds privacy feature to hide phone numbers

    WhatsApp is introducing a feature that lets users interact with strangers without revealing their phone numbers, allowing new contacts to reach them only via a unique username. The platform is also rolling out monetisation tools including paid channel subscriptions and advertisements in Status.

    2 July 2026 · The Standard

Sunday 28 June

  1. Australia doubles maximum fine for teen social media ban breaches

    Australia will increase the maximum penalty for platforms flouting its social media ban for under-16s to Aus$99 million and grant its eSafety watchdog greater powers to enforce compliance. The government is actively investigating potential non-compliance by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.

    28 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

Wednesday 24 June

  1. YouTube settles addiction lawsuit with teen before trial

    YouTube reached a confidential settlement with a 15-year-old American who accused the platform and other social media networks of harming his mental health, three months after a similar case verdict. The agreement includes no admission of liability, and Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat remain defendants in the case, set to go to trial July 27 in Los Angeles.

    24 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. YouTube settles addiction case with teen before trial

    YouTube reached a confidential settlement with a 15-year-old who accused the platform and other social media networks of harming his mental health, averting an unprecedented trial. The agreement includes no admission of liability; plaintiff's attorneys say YouTube's decision to settle "speaks for itself," while Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat remain defendants in a similar case scheduled for trial on July 27 in Los Angeles.

    24 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

Wednesday 17 June

  1. 89% of Kenyans use AI tools for shopping, but trust lags

    A Visa report found that 89% of Kenyans use AI tools for shopping tasks such as comparing prices and checking reviews, but only 29% would trust AI agents to complete checkout on their behalf. Scams remain a significant concern in the e-commerce sector, with 37% of Kenyans having experienced them.

    17 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Italian mother sues Meta, TikTok over daughter's suicide

    After her 12-year-old daughter died by suicide in 2024, Irene Roggero Ugues discovered the girl had been exposed to self-harm content on social media platforms, including a secret Instagram profile, and is now taking legal action against Meta and TikTok.

    17 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

  3. Media algorithms commodify gender-based violence as viral content

    Online platforms reduce gender-based violence to quickly consumable images while survivors continue living with long-term consequences after public attention shifts. The article examines how algorithms amplify femicide content, particularly through TikTok trends that repurpose religious songs with violent imagery.

    17 June 2026 · The Standard

Tuesday 16 June

  1. Social media and video platforms surpass traditional media for news

    A Reuters Institute report based on surveys of almost 100,000 people across 48 countries found that 54 percent of respondents got news from social media or video platforms in the week before the survey, exceeding the 52 percent who referenced TV news. This marks the first year social media and video network consumption is ahead of other news sources globally.

    16 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

Monday 15 June

  1. UK announces ban on social media for under-16s

    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that children under 16 will be banned from using social media platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, citing concerns that such platforms expose youngsters to dangerous and addictive content. The ban is expected to pass by late December and come into force in spring 2025.

    15 June 2026 · The Standard

Saturday 13 June

  1. Social media transforms how people connect and maintain relationships

    Social media platforms including Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp have changed how people connect, express themselves and build relationships across distances, contrasting with earlier reliance on face-to-face conversation, letters and phone calls that required more effort and deeper personal valuation.

    13 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

Thursday 4 June

  1. Kenya's youth face rising tobacco and nicotine epidemic

    An opinion piece warns that Kenya faces a growing public health crisis as tobacco use causes approximately 12,000 deaths annually, with rising use of new nicotine products like e-cigarettes and vapes among young people threatening to reverse global progress in tobacco control.

    4 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

TikTok — Kenyan press coverage · Kenya Minute