The TikTok company has agreed to establish a dialogue with Morocco to address concerns related to the dissemination of negative content through its application. An approach which could even lead to the opening of an office in the Kingdom to better understand Moroccan identity, revealed the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid.
In response to questions from parliamentarians, during the weekly session in the House of Advisors, on the challenges and negative aspects imposed by the TikTok application, the minister indicated that the TikTok company agreed to enter into a dialogue with the Morocco, during which efforts will be made for the platform to capture the nuances of Moroccan culture.
Bensaid also stressed that Morocco wants to address the challenges that Moroccan society faces in terms of values, “Tamghrabit” and what is considered appropriate or not in terms of broadcast content.
Additionally, he spoke candidly about the complexity of imposing an absolute ban and establishing rigorous surveillance, highlighting the ability of technologies like VPNs to circumvent restrictions, whether used by individuals or by businesses themselves. -themselves. In this context, the manager highlighted the essential role of families, urging them to activate parental controls to supervise the content that children access. “ The government can initiate measures and raise awareness, but the primary responsibility lies with families“, he said.
The minister notably underlined the crucial importance of rigorously applying the laws in cases of defamation, insults, slander and the propagation of false information. For the minister, it is essential that victims of such offenses file a complaint, because justice cannot intervene without this.
Furthermore, Bensaid insisted on the need to unite efforts to engage in constructive dialogue with the major global platforms, referred to by the acronym GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon). He noted that the limits of freedom of expression differ significantly from country to country, underscoring the importance of conveying the cultural specificities of each nation. To this end, a regional coalition is necessary.
The minister added that the question of values now represents a shared challenge across the “Arab region”. He said: “ We have formed a coalition with several Arab countries to address the challenges we face in the digital age, including those related to Arab values in general and Tamghrabit in particular.« .
« The way these companies perceive the concept of freedom of expression and values is different from the way we as Moroccans perceive it“, continued the manager. And note: “ We have opened dialogue and are banking on coalition, as other countries have done. We wish to establish a dialogue with these large companies which consider themselves quasi-States and designate interlocutors to discuss with governments« .
