During Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council headquarters in Old Kampala, the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadan Mubaje, called on the government to ban the social media app TikTok, stating that it is used by idle people to slander others. He condemned the way the platform is being used, particularly by some Muslim leaders, to spread misleading information and promote immorality. He stated that TikTok had become a problem, and believed that it could lead to violence. He criticized the platform for allegedly being used by individuals, including sheikhs, to mislead, spread falsehoods, and foster division within the Muslim community.

TikTok replied to BHRRC’s request for a response by stating that the company respectfully disagrees with Sheikh Mubaje's assertions that the platform lacks rules and is used to spread hateful messages. TikTok stated that it’s Community Guidelines, which apply to everyone and everything on its platform, include rules for what is allowed on TikTok, as well as standards for what is eligible on the For You feed (FYF). These Guidelines make it clear that TikTok does not allow any hate speech, hateful behavior, or promotion of hateful ideologies on its platform. This includes explicit or implicit content that attacks a protected group.

A full statement from TikTok is attached below