Dabula Kamoli
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
It's after midnight in Nairobi and I'm on TikTok Live.
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
In this one, young women are taking it in turns to dance provocatively. There's 450 people watching from around the world. And there's a host who's directing them and calling on people to send them money in the form of digital gifts. At the end of another live stream, the women say, inbox me for sexual content.
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
I've come across many late night live streams on TikTok like this, where young women are soliciting sex work. We are in a low-income neighborhood, one of the poorer neighborhoods in Eastlands. And in places like this, there's that sense of urgency of trying to get money daily because people are not living off a salary. People are hustling every day. We're meeting someone we're calling Esther.
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
She's now 17, but says she was recruited to dance on TikTok Live two years ago when she was just 15.
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
She then uses another platform to share sexual content or arrange physical meetings. She says the man who recruited her takes a cut of everything she earns and pressured her to have sex with him.
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
Charities say they are seeing more cases of child sexual exploitation through live streaming. TikTok's guidelines ban the selling of sexual services and users need to be 18 in order to live stream and receive gifts. TikTok actually knows what's happening in Kenya, but they're not doing anything to solve it. It's all about business.
Global News Podcast
Moscow says West "fragmenting" over Ukraine
A spokesperson for TikTok said in a statement that they have zero tolerance for exploitation and they enforce strict safety policies, including robust live content rules and moderation in 70 languages, including Swahili.