Facebook And WhatsApp Group Admins Will Be Required To Get License From The Government

Are you a group admin on Facebook or whatsApp? You might soon be required to obtain clearance from the Communication Authority (CA). Before setting up groups on WhatsApp and Facebook group admins will be required to apply for licences from the CA if a Bill sponsored by Malava MP Malulu Injendi gets passed.

The Bill which is  headed to Parliament this week also proposes that users and group administrators who allow offending content on their social media platforms be jailed. Should the Bill pass, social media group administrators will be required to inform the CA their intent to form any groups and shall be responsible for the contents posted and discussion on the platform they control. This means taking full responsibility of whatever information is posted in that group, with or without the admins approval.

“A social media user shall ensure that any content published, written or shared through the social media platform does not degrade or intimidate a recipient of the content,” reads part of The Kenya Information and Communication (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The group administrators will be tasked with kicking out those who post offending content, they shall also be required to carry out due diligence to ensure that all its users “are of age of majority.”

The Bill will put a huge burden of a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand shillings for administrators whose groups are found to be allowing offending content. “Any person who contravenes the provision of this section commits an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred thousand shillings, or to an imprisonment of a term not exceeding one year,” the bill states.

To establish a group on both those platforms, the Bill proposes that one must have a physical address and data showing all its members.