TikTok and Google said they are working with African governments to make the internet safer, with a focus on South Africa and Kenya.
The two companies are using policy alignment, AI tools that help check content and joint work with regulators, Connecting Africa reported.
Tokunbo Ibrahim is TikTok’s acting head of government relations and public policy for sub-Saharan Africa. She said online safety has no finish line.
“We have succeeded at creating a powerful platform for African countries to meet, connect and consolidate their efforts toward building safer digital ecosystems, taking learnings from each other’s jurisdictions,” Ibrahim said.
In Kenya, TikTok led a campaign against false information. It removed more than 800,000 videos and deleted just under 50,000 accounts belonging to underage users.
Ibrahim said teen accounts come with safety settings already switched on. “Teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 preset safety, privacy, and security features and settings automatically turned on by default, so they can safely express their creativity, connect with friends, and learn on TikTok,” she said.
She said parents can use a tool called Family Pairing. It lets parents and guardians link their accounts to their teen’s account. They can then manage content, privacy and well-being settings.
Michael Murungi, government affairs lead at Google Eastern Africa, said Kenya and South Africa were taking steps in line with the African Union Continental AI Strategy.
“Both countries recognize that a safe and equitable digital ecosystem requires simultaneous investment in foundational infrastructure and inclusive skills development,” Murungi said.
He said AI can help communities in areas such as education, food security and health care. He said rules for new technology should allow innovation while dealing with social and economic inequality.
Murungi said Google offers tools for parents through its Family Link service. He also named the Be The Legend, YouTube Kids and Supervised Experiences programmes.
He said the rules must protect vulnerable people without being so strict that they slow down digital innovation. Keeping these rules balanced is an ongoing challenge, he said.
According to the report, Google’s approach rests on four pillars. These are strong infrastructure, skills training for communities, new technology and support for good digital policy.
In South Africa, the Film and Publication Board has warned about the dangers of online harm. Its report, titled Impact of Technology on Online and Social Harms, pointed to risks from fast growing new technology.
The report listed harms such as sharing intimate images without consent, insults, false information campaigns and social exclusion.
The board deals with many complaints about online activity each year. These include deep fake material, cyberbullying, banned material and content not suitable for children.
After it processes the complaints, the board helps fast track them to police investigators. Its report says there are three layers of online harm: making content, sharing it and viewing it.
A separate report, Safe Digital Space for Children, came from the Digital Cooperation Organization. It grew out of roundtable talks launched in 2023 in Riyadh, Cape Town and Geneva.
That report said 1.6 billion students worldwide could not attend physical classes at the peak of COVID-19 in March 2020. Many turned to technology to keep learning, which also raised their risk online.
Ibrahim said she expects the AU Continental AI Strategy to reduce policy differences between African countries and speed up investment.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Connecting Africa. Image: Connecting Africa. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.