Kyrgyzstan to ban TikTok over children safety concerns

Kyrgyzstan announced on Wednesday that it will ban the social media platform TikTok, which authorities accuse of failing to "restrict access to harmful information affecting the health and growth of children" in this Central Asian nation neighboring China.

In a statement, the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth declared its decision to "terminate the distribution of the TikTok service on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic."

According to the same source, a request to this effect has been sent to the Ministry of Digital Development of this former Soviet republic, with a population of seven million people and allied with Russia, while being in proximity to China.

The Ministry of Culture added, "We have received numerous alarming requests from non-governmental organizations regarding the harmful impact of TikTok," a short-form video sharing application known for its entertaining content, due to its "negative influence on the mental and physical health of children."

Authorities state that they have made this decision after observing in particular the "absence of restrictions on access to information harmful to physical and mental health" by TikTok, which boasts over a billion active users globally and is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

In the Western world, TikTok already faces increasing restrictions due to allegations of transferring user data to China. Afghanistan, India, Jordan, and even Somalia have banned the service for various reasons.

In France, the French Senate has threatened to suspend the application if it does not take steps to clarify its relationship with Chinese authorities and does not implement "effective" content oversight before January 1, 2024.


AFP