Students Share Thoughts on Censorship

Petition Submitted to Kenyan Government Sparks Discussion

By Connor Markey, Co-Editor-in-Chief

A petition submitted to the Kenyan parliament suggests the country is considering a ban of the
popular social media app, TikTok.

The petitioner, Bob Ndolo, raised concerns about the app’s impact on “cultural and religious”
values, in addition to claiming that the app promoted “explicit sexual content” to children. The
petition also cited that TikTok was fined €345 million by the European Union for breaching
several privacy laws regarding the data of minors.

“With that type of mission, it really puts all of their government actions into question of what’s
the motivation,” said James Blodgett, a former Lynn University student. “It would kind of lead as
a precedent for TikTok legislation.”

While no official word has been released from TikTok regarding the situation, a report from The
Washington Blade suggests that the social media giant may already be cooperating with Kenya
to censor any “LGBTQ,” “explicit” and “violent” content.

“I think it’s definitely a little unethical to potentially censor specific groups of people and
specific content from those groups,” said Jesse Kilcoin, a Lynn junior. “I think free speech is
important no matter where you are, and companies should fight for the well-being of all no
matter what country they’re working in.”

If the ban is instituted in Kenya, it will not be the first time someone has tried to regulate the
platform. In 2020, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the platform in the United
States unless the company relinquished its ownership to a Western country. However, the ban
was struck down by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols. While still available to civilians in the
U.S., federal government officials and federal government contractors are banned from having
TikTok installed on their devices due to security concerns.

As TikTok is facing yet another challenge rooted in the complex world of geopolitical pressures
and global communication trends, the future of the platform remains to be seen.