Somalia orders ban on TikTok and Telegram

Somalia has announced a ban on social media platforms Tiktok and Telegram and the online betting platform 1XBet.

The government says these platforms are being used by "terrorists and groups responsible for spreading immorality… to spread graphic clips, photos and mislead society".

It comes as Somalia announces an ambitious target to crush the al-Shabab militant group, which still controls large swathes of the country, within the next five months.

Internet service providers are required to implement the ban by 24 August or face unspecified legal action, the ministry of communications and technology said in a statement.

A recent conference on internet and social media security in the capital, Mogadishu, highlighted the negative impact of online platforms on young people, including "causing some of them to lose their lives".