KYRGYZSTAN BANS TIKTOK DUE TO “HARMFUL EFFECTS” ON CHILDREN

Thu 31 August 2023:

After accused the popular video-sharing app of “causing addiction” among children and harming their mental health, Kyrgyzstan said on Wednesday that it intended to outlaw TikTok.

The culture ministry of the Central Asian nation claimed in a statement that it had received “frequent messages” from organizations voicing worry about the “harmful effects” of the software.

“It is noted that TikTok immerses the user in a virtual world of short clips. After watching them, teenagers try to repeat certain videos, some of which are life-threatening,” it said.

It also accused the app of failing to restrict content which it claimed was “harmful to the health and development of children”.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Multiple countries have sought to tighten controls on social media due to their potential impact on children, including the United Kingdom and France.

However, Kyrgyzstan has recently been criticized for clamping down on independent media in what rights groups claim is a growing attack on freedom of expression.

TikTok, which has approximately one billion monthly users, has been subjected to restrictions in various countries for allegedly violating data standards, and has been banned in India.

The app has also been under intense investigation in the West due to its ties to China. ByteDance, its owner, is Chinese, but the company denies being directly controlled by Beijing.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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