EALA MPs back move for unified EAC social media regulatory framework

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From the outset, one could argue that social media was invented to bring people and communities together. But as things stand, several analysts have warned that the tide has shifted.

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the change is even more pronounced.

In one of his most recent articles published by the National Herald, University of Uppsala lecturer Prof. Ashok Swain has cautioned that human posting is on the decline. A trend which suggests that machines may soon be replacing humans in this ecosystem.

“Social feeds are increasingly filled with artificial travel photos, AI-generated influencers and inspirational quotes written by chatbots. Countless TikTok videos and Instagram reels now use AI narrations, stitched stock footage and scripted clickbait phrasing,” Swain observed.

Adding that “On X, one can keep scrolling through timelines overrun by bots and what security researchers describe as ‘zombie content’ – machine-generated posts designed to harvest clicks or impersonate news.

Other factors remaining constant, the gravest danger in the East African Community (EAC) lies in the misuse of these spaces.

Yet, amid all this, the social media regulatory frameworks of the eight partner states are either paper tigers, non-existent or operating in isolation, something East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) lawmakers want fixed.

This is according to a motion for a resolution of the Assembly; Kenya’s Falhada Dekow Iman moved on November 26, 2025, at a sitting in Kampala.

Presenting on the floor, Iman stated that while social media enhances connectivity and expression, its misuse poses a grave danger to peace and social cohesion within the region.

“This great progress comes with equally great challenges. Across East Africa, an unregulated and inconsistent use of social media has exposed our citizens, especially women, children and youth to unprecedented risk. We are witnessing an alarming rise in misinformation, cyberbullying, hate speech, digital fraud, online radicalisation, identity theft and widespread violation of privacy,” Iman contended.

Technological Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV)

Adding that the most painful thing is the women and girls who are constantly under attack in digital spaces with cruelty. A phenomenon which is likely to silence them and lead to their withdrawal from participating in public life.

Worse still, she noted that the divergent legal and policy approaches adopted by partner states have resulted in inconsistencies that undermine protection of digital rights and cross-border enforcement.

“Online Gender Based Violence is now one of the fastest growing forms of violence, and it's borderless. Nature means that no single partner state can confront it alone. Digital threats we face, whether misinformation during elections, extremist recruitment online or cross-border financial scams, do not respect national boundaries and yet our laws do,” Iman noted.

Aware of Article 49(2)(d), which allows the Assembly to discuss any matter concerning the community and make recommendations to the Council, she urged the respective EAC Ministers and Attorneys General to fast-track the creation and implementation of harmonised legal frameworks.

Key of which include the establishment of an East African Multistakeholder Digital Governance Forum comprising policy makers, regulators, civil society, academia and the private sector to guide on policy coherence among others.

EALA MPs react

Mashaka Khalfan Ngole, the seconder of the motion, lauded the move as timely, given the widespread misuse of social media in the current context.

“There is a legal maxim which says where your rights end, the other people’s rights begin, which has an implication that individuals’ rights and freedoms must be balanced against the rights of others. They are not absolute. So, if these rights and freedoms are balanced, you will also be able to protect persons' actions against infringement by others,” Mashaka explained.

Adding that the legal framework in this case would define entitlements of individuals, setting boundaries and also resolve disputes within a society.

Veronica Kadogo, one of Uganda’s representatives, said this would also increase productivity and curb rising social media addiction amongst the youths.

“Very many people, especially the young generation, have reached a level of some of them are being taken to rehabilitation centres because they have been addicted to social media. Not only them, but also the big people in this room, you can realise there are some who are addicted and are on social media,” she pointed out.

Studies

Kenya’s Suleiman Shahbal said while he supports the initiative, he tasked colleagues to ensure that laws of this nature do not turn into instruments of censorship.

Suleiman Shahbal reacting during a committee meeting on Tuesday. (Photo by Dedan Kimathi)

Fast forward, and he supported the motion in light of emerging research across the world.

“There is a very interesting debate going on in Australia because Parliament voted to ban social media for people under 16, and it has created a huge debate on where are the limits of free speech are and at what age people can start expressing themselves. There is a very interesting book that has been published recently called an ‘anxious generation’ by a writer and researcher called Jonathan Haidt. He warned of a great re-wiring of childhood and says that it is causing an epidemic of mental illness and a decline of adolescent mental health,” Shahbal cited.

“He noted that all these problems, the anxiety, depression, even this self-harm that kids are doing, largely started after 2010, 2012, when smartphones were introduced. So, his research is showing that there is a huge amount of social deprivation being interaction between people is declining,” he added.

Further arguing that it is no coincidence that kids, even at dinner, are on their phones, and nowadays, even adults in public spaces are constantly scrolling.

“We see kids are suffering from sleep deprivation; they are on the phone the whole night watching TikTok. How do they go to school the next day and perform the way they are supposed to? Then there is what we call cognitive fragmentation, a total loss of focus. You find that people are unable to focus for more than five minutes, and this is largely related to excessive use of the phones because of social media,” Shahbal elaborated.  

Speaker’s remarks

Speaker Joseph Ntakuritimana admitted that the subject of social media is complicated for him, noting that he does not even know who creates the content he watches on his phone.

He added that perhaps, if he could meet the creators, they could have a dialogue about his cultural concerns.

“I don’t even know, maybe, personally, how to use all of these social media. I don’t know TikTok, many things, but please help us. Help our community, our region and hope we will be able to overcome this,” Ntakuritimana implored.