The Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture has issued a directive to block the video-sharing app TikTok inside the Central Asian nation, citing appeals from NGOs over the social media platform's effects on the mental health of children amid concerns the government is taking moves to block free speech and the flow of information.
The ministry said on August 30 that it had directed the Digital Development Ministry to implement the law, given the application is lacking in user controls for children.
"It should be noted that TikTok engages users in a virtual realm of brief clips, and subsequent to viewing these clips, teenagers attempt to replicate certain actions depicted in these clips, some of which endanger their lives," the Culture Ministry said.
TikTok did not immediately respond to the move, but previously has said it has safeguards to moderate content and protect minors.
Access to information through social media and the general media has become a hot topic in Kyrgyzstan after a series of moves by the government that many argue are aimed at stifling free speech.
Earlier this week, the Kloop Media Public Foundation, an anti-corruption investigative website that has been critical of the Central Asian nation's government, said it had been informed that a move was taken aimed at suspending its operations in Kyrgyzstan due to its coverage.
As an independent media entity, it is known for publishing reports on corruption within various governmental bodies and providing training to Central Asian journalists in fact-checking and investigative techniques.
Human Rights Watch on August 30 urged Kyrgyz authorities to retract the application for the dissolution of Kloop, saying it "continues a repressive trend against freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan."
“The lawsuit against Kloop Media is the most recent in a string of attacks on freedom of media and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan, all incompatible with the country’s international human rights obligations, as well as its status as a member of the UN Human Rights Council,” said Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“Kyrgyz authorities should immediately withdraw the lawsuit and stop harassing independent media in the country.”
The HRW statement came a day after the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) made a similar call on the government to halt the move to liquidate Kloop.
Kyrgyzstan's civil society and independent press have been among the most robust in Central Asia, though the landscape has shifted due to an escalating government crackdown.
Efforts to regulate social media and bloggers persist, with some bloggers being arrested and constraints imposed on writing critical posts.
Over 20 individuals, including NGO leaders and activists, are currently facing trials on serious charges for their opposition to a contentious border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from the previous year.
The annual media-freedom rankings published by the Reporters Without Borders watchdog in July showed Kyrgyzstan falling 50 places to 122nd out of 180 countries.