Somalia bans Tiktok, Telegram

Somalia’s government has announced a ban on social media platforms TikTok and Telegram and an online betting app, saying they were being used by “terrorists” to spread propaganda.

In a statement, the ministry of communications and technology ordered internet service providers to implement the ban by August 24 or face unspecified legal action.

The statement reads partly, “In a bid to accelerate the war and elimination of the terrorists who have shed the blood of the Somali people, the minister of communication and technology instructs companies that provide internet services to suspend TikTok, Telegram and 1XBET betting applications, which terrorists and groups responsible for spreading immorality use to spread graphic clips, photos and mislead society.”

The move comes ahead of a much anticipated second phase of a military offensive against Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militant group that has been waging a bloody insurgency against the central government for more than 15 years.