Kenya, May 21 -- Kenyans will soon need to show their national ID to prove their age in order to use social media. This new rule comes from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and was announced on May 21, 2025.
The new rule is part of efforts to protect children from dangerous content online. The CA has told internet and technology providers to set up age verification systems in the next three months.
This means users will have to provide their national ID information to access sites like X, Facebook, and TikTok.
The goal of this directive is to limit access to content that is not appropriate for children and to reduce bullying online, according to CA Director-General David Mugonyi.
Mugonyi stated, "These measures are important to protect our children from online dangers and harmful material."
He added that they are working with social media platforms to ensure that these rules are followed.
The announcement has received mixed reactions. Some parents and child protection groups support the new rule, while others, like digital rights organizations, are concerned about privacy issues.
Grace Nduta, a spokesperson for the Kenya Digital Rights Coalition, said, "Requiring national IDs for social media could lead to misuse of personal information and leave out people who do not have formal identification."
The CA has warned that if internet and technology providers do not comply with these new rules, they could face heavy fines or have their services suspended.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.