TikTok profiting from sexual livestreams involving children in Kenya
This situation highlights a serious failure in content moderation and
platform responsibility. TikTok’s “zero tolerance” stance rings hollow when
the platform is clearly profiting from exploitative content. The fact that
teenage girls in Kenya are openly advertising explicit content and
negotiating payments on a major social media platform is alarming—not just
for the individuals involved, but for the wider implications on child
protection and digital ethics.
There are several key issues here:
1. *TikTok’s Role* – If TikTok is aware that this is happening and is
still taking a cut of livestream earnings, then it is complicit in enabling
exploitation.
2. *Regulation & Enforcement* – Why aren’t regulators holding platforms
accountable for these activities? Digital laws need to be strengthened, and
enforcement needs to be more proactive.
3. *Economic Desperation & Online Risks* – Many young people in Kenya
and other regions may turn to this as an income source due to financial
hardship, highlighting deeper socioeconomic challenges.
Best regards,
Alexander N. Kathanzu.
On Fri, 7 Mar 2025 at 01:12, Mwendwa Kivuva via KICTANet <
[email protected]> wrote:
> TikTok is profiting from sexual livestreams performed by teens as young as
> 15, the BBC has been told.
>
> BBC spoke to three women in Kenya who said they began this activity as
> teenagers. They told us they used TikTok to openly advertise and negotiate
> payment for more explicit content that would be sent via other messaging
> platforms.
>
> TikTok bans solicitation but the company knows it takes place, moderators
> have told the BBC. TikTok takes a cut of about 70% from all livestream
> transactions, we have previously found
> <www.bbc.com/news/world-63213567>.
>
> TikTok told the BBC it has “zero tolerance for exploitation”.
>
> Livestreams from Kenya are popular on TikTok – each night over the course
> of a week, we found up to a dozen in which women performers danced
> suggestively, watched by hundreds of people around the world.
>
> Read more here
> www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedl8eyy4pjo.amp
>
> In a response to the @BBCAfrica Report on Sexual Livestreams on TikTok.
> Communications Authorty of Kenya asks TikTok to take down offensive content
> and offer an explanation how their community standards were breached
> x.com/ca_kenya/status/1897633264002551872?s=46
>
>
>
> Best Regards
> ______________________
> Mwendwa Kivuva
> www.linkedin.com/in/mwendwa-kivuva
>