Two proposals would make TikTok, Meta and X answer to the CA, with fines of up to 10% of global turnover
Kenya has two proposals in front of it that would bring social media companies under the Communications Authority. The first, the Online Safety Bill, 2026, puts a duty of care on social networks, search engines and other online services used in Kenya, from TikTok, Facebook and Instagram to X and YouTube. They would have to assess at least once a year how their algorithms, size and business model help illegal or harmful content spread, act quickly once they know about illegal content, and treat child safety separately, including grooming, cyberbullying and harmful recommendations. Services likely to be used by children would need parental consent, which would push platforms towards age checks such as card verification or identity cross-referencing, and so towards collecting more personal data. Failing the duty of care could cost up to KES 500 million or 10% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher, and executives who consent to a breach or are grossly negligent face up to KES 10 million in fines, five years in prison, or both. The second, the Kenya Information and Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2026, from the ICT ministry, would add a Section 85C requiring platform providers to register with the CA, publish their terms, run complaint channels and report unlawful activity such as sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and impersonation, with what they did about it. It follows Parliament's February decision to reject a TikTok ban in favour of regulation. Both still have to pass through public participation and Parliament. The Online Safety Bill says platforms need not scan private messages, but critics warn that the threat of fines could push platforms to remove borderline posts, including political criticism and satire, and users get no clear independent route to appeal a takedown.
Sources: Techweez · TechTrends
