By: Seringe ST Touray
Senegal has decided to maintain the ban on TikTok, insisting that the company commit to establishing a system for account removal. The decision was communicated by the Minister of Communication, Moussa Bocar Thiam, during a recent press briefing, where he highlighted ongoing talks with TikTok.
The ban on TikTok was put in place in August amid the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. The justification cited the app’s role in disseminating “hateful and subversive messages,” which were perceived as a threat to the nation’s stability.
The political tensions between Sonko and President Macky Sall, leading to violent protests in June, had already tarnished Senegal’s reputation as a stable democracy in West Africa.
In discussions with TikTok, the government aimed to establish more stringent regulation for the platform. Queries were raised regarding algorithm functionality and data protection, and there was an emphasis on securing fair compensation for content creators. This move was seen as an effort to enable young individuals to sustain a livelihood through social media.
