A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bashir Ahmad, has called on the federal government to strictly regulate TikTok in the country.
The former Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital Communication, Ahmad, also said there was need for contents on TikTok in Nigeria to be regulated.
Bashir Ahmad said this on Wednesday in reaction to live streams by bandits on the social video platform.
Naturenex had reported several videos of bandits taking to TikTok to brandish ransom collected from victims. In some of the videos, the bandits offered to make payment transfers to young Nigerians on social platforms for following their handles.
Bashir argued that the bandits may influence young Nigerians into following the route of crimes if TikTok is not strictly regulated.
On his X handle, Ahmad said, “It is alarming that TikTok, a global social media platform, is being utilized by criminals such as bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists in Nigeria to interact with the public and, in some cases, even engage in live conversations defending their heinous activities.
“The platform is causing more harm than good to our country, as it not only amplifies the voices of these criminals but also emboldens them by providing a space to spread their propaganda and misinformation.
“Nigeria needs stricter regulations and content monitoring on TikTok to prevent those dangerous individuals from using it for their malicious agendas.”
