Grace Ashiru
Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) has directed telecom companies to temporarily block Telegram in an effort to curb exam cheating. This move, aimed at preventing students from sharing exam answers, has resulted in restrictions on Telegram across major networks.
On Friday, Netblocks, an internet monitoring group, confirmed disruptions on Safaricom, stating that the blocks align with previous Telegram restrictions. A similar ban in November 2023 reportedly caused significant losses, estimated at KSh 4.2 billion, as businesses experienced connectivity challenges.
In a letter dated October 31, the CA addressed the heads of Safaricom, Telkom Kenya, Jamii Telecom, and Airtel Kenya. The authority highlighted that while other social media platforms have been cooperating with efforts to prevent misuse, Telegram has been less responsive. The CA has requested that Telegram be temporarily suspended during exam hours—7:00 to 10:00 am and 1:00 to 4:00 pm on weekdays—until November 22.
Last year, Netblocks reported that Kenya faced daily losses of approximately KSh 537 million due to a similar ban. During that time, six Telegram group administrators were arrested on allegations of exam malpractice.
Since then, Telegram has taken steps to soften its stance, updating its privacy policies in September 2024 to allow the sharing of IP addresses and phone numbers with law enforcement during criminal investigations. This policy change came on the heels of Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, being arrested in France.
With nearly 1 billion users globally, Telegram’s growth has been nothing short of meteoric. Renowned for its unfiltered content and massive group chats, the platform has become a powerful tool for free communication—though it frequently finds itself at odds with government oversight.
The debate over free speech versus regulation is intensifying on a global scale, with sharp contrasts between the West and nations like Russia and China, where platform regulations are often influenced by their origins. In Kenya, the annual ban on Telegram has become a recurring measure to combat exam cheating. Despite these regulatory efforts, Telegram remains the leading encrypted messaging platform in the country.
Bank of Ghana Suspends TapTap Send for Regulatory Violation
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has imposed a one-month suspension on TapTap Send, an international remittance platform, barring it from collaborating with any regulated financial institutions in Ghana. This action was taken due to a violation of remittance regulations.
BoG circulated a notice to banks, electronic money issuers (such as mobile money operators), and the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS). The notice stated that TapTap Send’s “cedi remittance wallet” breached the Foreign Exchange Act, 2006 (Act 723) and specific guidelines for payment service providers handling remittances.
Under Section 3(1) of Act 723, no individual or entity is permitted to engage in foreign exchange dealings without the appropriate license. Additionally, remittance guidelines stipulate that funds must be paid out in Ghanaian Cedis within 24 hours, with stringent monitoring for any suspicious activity or violations to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering regulations. TapTap Send was found to have failed to meet these critical requirements.
The suspension took effect on November 8, 2024, and will last for one month.
