The dark side of TikTok: How Kenyan minors are being exploited online

TikTok is one of the most common social media platforms used in Kenya; it is especially preferred by the relatively younger generation of users. According to Byte Dance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, the app boasts about 10.6 million Kenyans aged 18 and above as its users.

Most Kenyans utilize the platform for different purposes; some as a source of news, others entertainment, and event others to generally just create content, which is also now a source of income for many. And because nothing created by a human can ever be perfect, TikTok also has its dark side. It is an ugly side that has always been in existence, but one which is just now perceivably getting worse by the day…or night, if you prefer.

Some content creators on the app have gradually graduated to broadcasting their nudity on live after bedtime, while others even go to the extent of engaging in sexual activities while urging their viewers to tap their screens for likes and more views.

“I did not know it was happening until recently, people have sexual interactions through the platform, and the fact that children can access the app is very risky. Whether it is during the day or in the wee hours, guidelines should be put in place that protect our children,” TikTok content creator Elisha Arasa tells Citizen Digital.

A recent BBC report exposed a troubling trend in Kenya, where children as young as 15 years of age are being used to stream sexual content on TikTok. Despite the platform’s safeguards, minors continue to bypass age restrictions, engaging in inappropriate content in exchange for financial gains.

This revelation followed similar concerns raised in 2023 when several TikTok users were flagged for using the platform to showcase explicit content. The investigations now suggest that an underground network is exploiting minors, turning what was once a creative and financial hub into a dangerous digital landscape.

According to the BBC, 15-year-old Kenyan girls dance provocatively and use code words for sex or other immoral behavior to ask for gifts. The British broadcaster highlighted one such case, where a girl of the said age revealed that she was introduced into the trade by a friend.

With the said friend’s help, the girl was able to bypass the platform’s 18+ restriction and begin streaming. The only technical requirement to go live is having at least 1,000 followers, a threshold easily achieved through viral content or purchased accounts.

According to Child Fund Kenya and other child protection organizations, some victims are as young as nine years old. These children are lured into participating in this immoral and heavily illegal act, often unaware of the dangers involved.

The girls come from deprived neighborhoods and poor backgrounds, most of them have not yet finished high school and the idea of earning a quick buck through TikTok gifting is luring enough. It has become an escape for them to get out of the streets and earn a living, with viewers sending virtual gifts that can be cashed out through livestreaming.

Some of the girls disclosed to the BBC that they are recruited by digital pimps, who are basically predators looking for girls they can manipulate into making money for them. These digital pimps, often with large followings, host the livestreams where minors perform for an audience willing to pay for explicit content. These influencers use backup accounts to evade bans and suspensions, making it difficult to regulate their activities effectively.

While TikTok has been praised for providing economic opportunities for content creators, the platform’s Live feature has also become a space where minors are manipulated and exploited.

"It is disappointing that the BBC refused to share their findings, limiting our ability to investigate their claims and further safeguard our community, TikTok has zero tolerance for exploitation. We enforce strict safety policies, including robust LIVE content rules, moderation in 70 languages, including Swahili, and we partner with local experts and creators, including our Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council to continually strengthen our approach," a TikTok spokesperson said.

Parents have expressed shock and concern over this growing menace. Winnie Otheo, a resident of Homa Bay County, recounts stumbling upon such content while casually scrolling through TikTok.

“This is horrifying. We give our children access to smartphones, thinking they are safe, but the reality is different. Authorities need to take action,” she said.

TikTok is encouraging parents to supervise their teens on the app with the Family Pairing Tool, which lets parents link their TikTok accounts to their teen’s to choose a variety of content, privacy, and well-being settings, hence giving guardians the ability to monitor screen time, adjust privacy settings, and manage app safety features, ensuring a balanced digital experience for younger users.

According to TikTok, some of the efforts being made include the continuity to increase local language support across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The company also says it continues to invest heavily in training technology and human moderators to detect, review, and remove harmful content, and continuously optimize our processes to react faster and more effectively.

“If your teen accesses TikTok via a browser as well as via the mobile app, you may want to use the parental controls available on the browser or on your teen's device,” Pereruan Kenana, TikTok’s East Africa Communications Lead, told Citizen Digital.

Advocates stress the urgent need for stricter regulations, stronger enforcement of TikTok’s policies, and increased parental supervision. They call for social media platforms to take more responsibility in ensuring child safety, including enhanced content monitoring and age verification measures.

“We continue to invest heavily in training technology and human moderators to detect, review, and remove harmful content, and continuously optimize our processes to react faster and more effectively. In addition, tens of thousands of people are working alongside technology to keep TikTok safe, and this includes dedicated teams and detection models to moderate LIVEs in real time,” added Kenana.

“In Kenya, we are partnering with Eveminet, a digital safety organisation, to deliver in-person and virtual workshops, these sessions equip teachers, parents, and guardians with resources to create safer online spaces for young people. Topics include using TikTok responsibly, setting up parental controls, managing screen time, and promoting digital well-being.”

The matter has also caught the attention of Kenyan Senators, who now want the Data Protection Commission under the ICT Ministry to regulate internet usage to curb the exploitation of young children on social media platforms.

Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian raised concerns of young Kenyan girls at risk of online predators over the failure to regulate digital platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

Senator Lemaletian cited the recent BBC feature, saying digital platforms without age restrictions are exploiting minors in violation of child safety protocols.

“The (BBC) report, which ran on March 3, 2025, highlights serious concerns about child safety, the failure of digital platforms to enforce age restrictions, and the increasing vulnerability of minors to online predators. Many girls have been lured to exploitation activities under the guise of digital gifting and monetization features, raising urgent questions about the effectiveness of existing protections,” she said.

“Without stringent safeguards, these platforms risk becoming conduits for abuse and violations, not only for abuse of children but also Kenya’s legal framework for child protection.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and his Nyandarua counterpart John Methu, who faulted the government for not putting in place guidelines and laws to protect young people against online predators and harmful internet content.

“We would want our people to continue using internet to make money but cannot just leave it open, such that anybody can just upload content of a kid, and the kid is not even aware the content is going out and there is no protection or no way the government is able to protect such a kid,” said Senator Methu.

Senator Osotsi, on his part, took issue with the ICT Ministry, the Data Protection Commission and the Senate Committee on ICT, claiming that the departments had incompetent officials.

According to Osotsi, who is a former member of the ICT Committee, the heads of various ICT sector departments are clueless since the majority of them lack proper technology background, citing among them the current Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) boss David Mugonyi who is a former journalist.

As digital platforms continue to evolve, so do the risks that come with them. Without swift intervention from law enforcement, policymakers, and social media companies, more children could fall victim to this exploitative industry. Protecting the younger generation from online harm must become a priority before the situation worsens.