Kenya ranked 2nd globally in using TikTok for news

Kenya has been ranked as one of the leading countries in the world for using TikTok as a source of news, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024 survey.

The report as seen by K24 Digital highlights that 36% of Kenyans used TikTok for news in the last week, placing the country second globally.

The top 10 markets for TikTok news consumption are dominated by countries from the global south.

Thailand leads with 39%, followed by Kenya at 36%, Malaysia at 31%, and Indonesia at 29%. Other countries in the top 10 include South Africa (28%), Peru (27%), Nigeria (23%), the Philippines (23%), Morocco (22%), and Colombia (22%).

A survey conducted by Reauters Institute. PHOTO/Screengrab by K24 Digital — A survey conducted by Reuters Institute. PHOTO/Screengrab by K24 Digital

The report also sheds light on the concerns surrounding TikTok usage in Kenya. While TikTok is a popular platform for news, there is worry about its impact on cultural and religious values.

TikTok has been labelled a serious threat to the cultural and religious values of Kenya before in a petition to parliament. This petition tabled in parliament in August 2023, highlighted issues such as the sharing of adult content, misinformation, and hate speech.

Despite these concerns, the survey said TikTok’s popularity for news may be attributed to the nature of the content posted on the platform.

Unlike WhatsApp, where news posts often come from close social circles, most TikTok content is posted by people users don’t know personally. This difference might make WhatsApp seem more trustworthy, yet, could be more dangerous.

“WhatsApp posts tend to come from a close social circle, who are likely to be more trusted. Paradoxically, this could mean that information spread in WhatsApp carries more danger, because defences may be lower,” the report said.

The report noted a difference in concern over TikTok compared to other popular networks like X (formerly Twitter) or WhatsApp, which is the most used network for news.

In August 2023, during a parliamentary session, Speaker Wetang’ula announced a petition from Bob Ndolo, head of Briget Connect Consultancy, calling for the ban of TikTok in Kenya.

Ndolo’s petition claimed the platform disseminates content that promotes violence, vulgarity, explicit sexual material, and hate speech, which threatens Kenya’s cultural and religious values.

The petition also accused TikTok of collecting user data, including device information, location, and browsing history, and sharing this data with third parties without user consent.

Ndolo expressed concerns that TikTok’s addictive nature could negatively impact academic performance and mental health among the youth, leading to issues like depression, anxiety, and sleep deprivation.

Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah opposed the idea of an outright ban, arguing that the platform supports many careers and can generate revenue for the government.

He suggested regulating content rather than banning the app. Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi also opposed the ban, emphasizing the importance of digital connectivity for employment opportunities, particularly in a country with high unemployment rates.