Kenya warns TikTok of sanctions after a BBC report exposes child exploitation on the platform, prompting an official inquiry.

Kenyan authorities on Thursday ordered TikTok to remove sexual content involving minors following a BBC investigative report that exposed the exploitation of children in the country.

The report, published on Monday, revealed that TikTok was profiting from sexual livestreams performed by Kenyan teenagers as young as 15. This raised concerns among government agencies and child protection advocates, prompting swift action from Kenyan regulators.

In response to the findings, the Communications Authority of Kenya released a statement confirming that it had launched a formal inquiry into the matter. The authority emphasized that it "will not hesitate to issue sanctions" if any violations of the law by the Chinese video-sharing app are discovered.

Kenyan law strictly criminalizes online child exploitation, and authorities have been stepping up efforts to combat such offenses. Just this week, a Dutch national was sentenced to 10 years in prison for exposing minors to pornographic content via WhatsApp, reinforcing the country’s commitment to protecting children from digital exploitation.

Additionally, the regulatory body has demanded that TikTok provide an explanation regarding how offensive content is able to bypass its content moderation mechanisms. Officials have called on the platform to strengthen its safeguards to prevent such incidents from recurring.

TikTok is currently the third most popular social media platform in Kenya, following Facebook and WhatsApp. Its appeal among young users is largely attributed to its endless stream of ultra-short videos, which have contributed to its rapid rise in global popularity. The app now boasts over one billion active users worldwide.

Despite its success, TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny in various countries. In the United States, the platform has been accused of espionage, leading to debates over its national security risks. Meanwhile, in the European Union, TikTok is under investigation over claims that it was used to influence Romania’s presidential election in favor of a far-right candidate.

Concerns over TikTok’s content policies and potential security risks have led several countries to impose restrictions on its use. In many cases, governments have banned the platform from being accessed by personnel within state institutions, citing fears over data privacy and content moderation failures.

With growing pressure from Kenyan authorities, TikTok will now be required to address the latest allegations and take further steps to prevent child exploitation on its platform.