The council aims to foster a collaborative effort to ensure a secure environment for creative expression
TikTok has taken major steps to boost safety on its platform across Sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of its inaugural Safety Advisory Council (SAC) as well as the expansion of its #SaferTogether community education campaign.
By partnering with key stakeholders, including policymakers, the seven-member SAC drawn from academia, NGOs world, and community leaders, TikTok aims to foster a collaborative approach to ensuring a secure and positive platform environment.
The inauguration of SAC was made during TikTok’s recent Safety Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
TikTok’s Global Head of Outreach and Partnerships, Trust and Safety, Valiant Richey said the newly launched SAC will further “this effort” by bringing together local experts who will collaborate with TikTok to develop forward-looking policies and address regional safety concerns.
From Left to Right: Ms Mary Kerema, Secretary ICT, e-Government and Digital Economy, Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy, Lillian Kariuki, newly appointed TikTok SSA Safety Advisory Council Member), Dudu Mkhize, Outreach Partnerships Manager, TikTok SSA, Mr Raymond Ochieng, Secretary Youth Development, State Department for Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Mr Fortune Mgiwli-Sibanda, Director- Government Relations and Public Policy, TikTok SSA
“With the launch of the Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council, we are demonstrating our commitment to including expert African voices in our Trust and Safety work,” said Mr Richey.
Mr Richey noted that “this group of leaders was chosen for their broad range of expertise and experience, and we look forward to working with them over the coming years.”
The seven members of the Sub-Saharan Africa SAC are Prof Guy Berger, Rhodes University (South Africa), Mr Dennis Coffie, Content creator (Ghana), Mr Peter Cunliffe-Jones, University of Westminster Visiting Research Fellow (UK) and Ms Aisha Dabo, Co-Founder and coordinator of AfricTivistes (Senegal).
The others are Ms Lillian Kariuki, Founder and Executive Director of Watoto Watch Network (Kenya), Dr Akinola Olojo, expert on preventing and countering violent extremism (Nigeria), Prof Medhane Tadesse, Policy academic on peace and security issues (Ethiopia) and Mr Berhan Taye, Independent Researcher (Ethiopia).
Since 2020, TikTok has established nine regional SACs alongside the US Content Advisory Council (CAC), each composed of experts in areas such as youth safety, free expression and hate speech.
“These councils play a vital role in shaping TikTok’s policies, product features, and safety processes, ensuring the platform remains responsive to evolving challenges,” notes Mr Richey.
The newly launched Sub-Saharan Africa SAC has its work cut out in terms of developing forward-looking policies and addressing regional safety concerns.
“Their input will help TikTok manage current issues and anticipate future challenges, reinforcing the platform’s commitment to user safety and fostering a positive online environment.”
The iteration of the #SaferTogether campaign, according to Mr Richey, is designed to engage the community actively in promoting a basic understanding of the platform’s community guidelines and safety features.
This initiative will include workshops, social media outreach, and partnerships with key stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of following TikTok’s community standards.
The campaign aims to foster a collaborative effort to ensure a secure environment for creative expression.
Mr Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, the Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa emphasised that the community empowerment campaign highlights the importance of safety being a shared responsibility.
“This part of the campaign will speak directly to the TikTok community, to join us in making TikTok a safer space for all by ensuring they follow the community guidelines and use the safety features available to them,” said Mr Mgwili-Sibanda.
He added; “with the additional layer that the SAC presents, we believe that safety can be achieved, collectively.”
TikTok’s community guidelines are integral to the platform’s safety efforts.
Developed through comprehensive research and input from various stakeholders, including safety experts and community members, these guidelines set the standard for acceptable behaviour and content on the platform.
They are designed to foster a safe and welcoming environment, ensuring that everyone can express themselves freely and creatively while staying protected from potential harm.
The guidelines are continuously updated to address emerging safety concerns and support a respectful online community.
In Kenya, TikTok has so far achieved remarkable milestones with its flagship #SaferTogether workshops.
This has been manifested by reaching students and youth aged 13 to 24 from secondary schools to universities and conducting workshops in 26 out of 47 counties across Kenya, which continue to encourage best practices on online platforms.
These workshops have benefitted over 64,000 students, more than 467 parents and 346 teachers.
In 2022, the #SaferTogether workshops and campaign launched in Nigeria.
Earlier this year, TikTok announced the official partnership with the African Union Commission’s Women Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD) at the inaugural TikTok Safer Internet Summit in Ghana.
“This partnership will help deliver digital literacy programmes across Africa, guiding young people and their caregivers on how to diversify their livelihoods using digital platforms, in a safe and engaging way,” said Mr Richey.
Kenya’s mobile telephone service provider Safaricom has been a long-standing strategic partner of TikTok.
The telco has been collaborating on a number of mobile and network initiatives over the past several years, including TikTok data bundles and participating in the #LevelUpAfrica Creator event.
In light of these ongoing collaborations, the telco expressed strong support for TikTok’s recent efforts to enhance online safety in Africa.
Fawzia Ali, the Chief Consumer Business Officer (CCBO) at Safaricom PLC, said that the internet is a resource that should be accessible to all.
“At Safaricom, we see the internet as a resource that everyone should have access to, safely. Having witnessed the announcement of the TikTok Safety Advisory Council and the launch of the #SaferTogether campaign, we commend TikTok’s efforts in bringing together various stakeholders for a common goal,” said Ali.
This, Ali said, serves to ensure online safety and promote the safe use of its platform across Africa.