Reports states TikTok named Kenya’s top misinformation platform
(MENAFN) TikTok has emerged as the leading platform for misinformation in Kenya, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, released on Monday. The study, which surveyed 2,007 Kenyans online between February and May, emphasized the growing influence of social media as the country approaches the 2027 presidential election.
The report found that 55% of respondents identified TikTok as a primary source of misleading or false information—more than any other platform. In contrast, WhatsApp was viewed as less harmful due to its private, group-based nature that tends to foster communication among trusted contacts.
Kenya continues to stand out globally for its widespread use of TikTok. In the 2023 report, it was ranked as the top TikTok-consuming country, with 29% of users accessing news through the app. That number has since climbed to 38%, surpassing South Africa (33%), Nigeria (28%), and Morocco (24%) among Global South nations.
The authors acknowledged that the online-only nature of the 2025 survey skews the results toward younger, urban, English-speaking Kenyans aged 18–50—a group that significantly shapes national digital discourse.
Facing growing scrutiny, TikTok removed more than 334,000 videos from Kenya for violating its community standards, according to its Q3 2024 enforcement report. Nearly 89% of these were taken down before being viewed, and 93% were removed within a day of posting.
Kenyan President William Ruto, in April, warned of the dangers posed by digital disinformation, describing it as a threat to democracy. He condemned the manipulation of online platforms for spreading hate, incitement, and insecurity.
A Mozilla Foundation report released ahead of Kenya’s 2022 general election also flagged TikTok for rapidly spreading political disinformation.
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