IN SHORT: Social media clips allege that the social media platform TikTok has officially been banned in Uganda. But the claim is false. Several of the videos are AI-generated, and TikTok remains accessible. Officials have also confirmed there are no plans to ban it.
A viral clip making rounds across social media features a news anchor reading. He appears to say: “TikTok has been officially banned from Uganda. Starting 30 June, no Ugandan will be using TikTok.”
Similar claims are also made in other videos and posts across TikTok and Facebook. These clips have collectively received over 1.4 million views and thousands of comments and shares.
Internet and media freedom in Uganda
Uganda has a history of tension surrounding internet freedom and social media regulation. During the 2021 general election period, the government blocked internet access, including to social media platforms. Despite warnings from the authorities that they would arrest those using them, some users circumvented the blackout by using virtual private networks, or VPNs.
Facebook remains officially blocked in Uganda after the platform removed accounts linked to the ruling party for spreading misinformation in 2021. Since then, the government has introduced various measures aimed at targeting online platforms, including digital taxes, restrictions on internet use, and efforts to regulate online content.
In recent years, several Ugandan social media users have also been arrested for allegedly insulting long-term president Yoweri Museveni.
TikTok has grown rapidly in Uganda, reaching over 5.5 million users. In March 2025, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, the mufti of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, publicly urged the government to ban TikTok, citing concerns about moral decay and misinformation.
The claims in question allege that the Ugandan government has now taken that step and officially banned the platform. But is this true? We checked.
Claim is false, pushed by AI-generated videos
There is currently no official ban on TikTok in Uganda. In April 2025, the government clarified its position in response to the public calls to ban the platform. Dr Chris Baryomunsi, Uganda’s minister of Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance, stated that the government had no intention of banning TikTok.
He said that authorities were instead focused on regulating online content and promoting responsible use. This was reported on by Ugandan media. Baryomunsi also said that discussions were ongoing with Facebook, raising the possibility that access to the platform could be restored in the future.
The videos showing news broadcasts reporting a ban are all generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Clues to this are how short the clips are and the lack of any supporting evidence given for the claim. More importantly, the videos feature a watermark in the bottom-right hand corner of the videos, saying “Veo”. Veo 3 is an AI video-generation model developed by Google that creates realistic AI-generated videos from prompts. The videos usually include this Veo watermark.
Additionally, TikTok remains fully accessible in Uganda. Users can access the platform without using a VPN, and no major service disruptions have been reported.
While past events have shown the Ugandan government’s willingness to restrict digital access, particularly during politically sensitive periods, officials have publicly said there were no plans to block TikTok.
The claim that TikTok is currently banned in Uganda is false.
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