The Ministry of Interior issued new directives on January 16. Popular social media companies were informed of the new requirements. X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram were among those affected.

In a statement, PS Raymond Omollo stated that these companies must set up physical offices in Kenya. The goal was to enhance accountability and tackle the misuse of social media.

“Social media must be accountable,” Omollo said. “Rising disinformation, manipulation, and online abuse are growing concerns.”

Representatives from telecommunications companies and social media platforms attended a meeting. The misuse of social media, including harassment and hate speech, was discussed. Immediate actions were deemed necessary.

The directive will also affect other popular platforms like TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Senior government officials and politicians had expressed concern over the misuse of social media, especially among the youth.

Strict compliance with the new requirements was emphasized. Stronger actions against online criminal activities were demanded from platform owners and telecom providers.

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