MPs demand immediate crackdown on TikTok over violation of privacy in Kenya
By Charles Ouma, February 18, 2026The National Assembly has called for a raft of measures to regulate TikTok in Kenya with the aim of safeguarding users and promoting digital growth.
In its sitting on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, parliament recommended robust regulation and compliance monitoring of social media platforms operating in the country.
The report by the National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee noted that an outright ban on TikTok would infringe on fundamental rights and stifle digital economic growth.
Rather than a total ban, lawmakers backed strict regulation of TikTok in Kenya, with a focus on balancing user protection with the benefits of social media innovation and growing the digital economy.
“I am glad we are not moving in the direction of banning TikTok; we are moving in the direction of content regulation to safeguard minors,” Moses Kajwang noted.
Monetisation of social media platforms
The National Assembly also wants TikTok and other social media platforms to roll out monetisation policies that will allow Kenyan creators to earn directly from their content, unlocking the economic benefits of these platforms.
Suba North MP Mille Odhiambo reflected on the economic potential of social media platforms, noting that civic engagement, saocialising and gainful employment are among the benefits.
“Some of the good things we have from Tiktok is our youth are able to socialise and gainful employment, and civic engagement, she said.
The Public Petitions Committee report tasked the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy to work together in enhancing user protection and cybersecurity on social media platforms, including TikTok and present a report to parliament within four months.
Child protection and data privacy
The focus of the exercise includes stronger age verification to protect minors from exploitation and adult content.
“As a child protection expert, we must find away to protect minors against exploitation and explicit adult content on social media platforms. There is certain content that should not be accessible by our minors. We must confront these issues head-on,” Mille Odhiambo stated.
Members also tasked the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure user data privacy and compliance with the Data Protection Act, Cap. 411C.
The exercise will also focus on digital literacy programmes on privacy and responsible use.
The range of measures fronted by the National Assembly signals a new chapter for the popular social media platform that has had a stormy past across the globe.