WATCH: Chang vows no silencing of social media amid influencer killings
ST JAMES, Jamaica — National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said there will be no attempts to silence the use of social media in Jamaica.
“Jamaicans enjoy social media space. We are talkers and therefore enjoy social media. And there are a lot of Jamaicans on social media. So, there will be no systematic attempt to silence any member of it from any angle,” assured Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister.
The minister was responding to a question from Observer Online during a media interview in St James on Saturday, regarding calls by social media users for the popular Chinese-made app to be banned.
The most recent suggestion from some social media users came on Saturday after news spread about the violent killing of yet another social media personality – the second in less than a month.
On December 7, social media influencer Xavier “Niah Gang” Fogah was shot and killed during a live TikTok session in St Catherine.
Then on December 20, another TikToker, 23-year-old Marlon Samuels, also known as “41 Busshead,” of a Rose Heights address in St James, was shot and killed at around 10 pm on North Lane in the parish.
On Saturday, Chang argued that it is coincidental that Samuels is related to a gang member.
“I think that the fact that this TikToker is related to someone who is considered a leading player in the underworld in Montego Bay is purely coincidental,” stated Chang.
The minister added that the killing could potentially lead to a gang conflict.
“It opens up the potential for a gang conflict and the police are going to take every step to prevent retaliation that could break out between two gangs in Montego Bay,” stated Chang, who added that the police will be moving aggressively to disrupt such from taking place.
Samuels was killed a few hours before he would have celebrated his 24th birthday on Saturday.
TikTok is currently under pressure to sell to a non-Chinese company by January 19, 2025 in order to avoid a ban in the US.
TikTok is considered a national security risk because it has been accused of giving China unfettered access to data.
On December 18, ByteDance – the company that owns TikTok asked the Supreme Court to take up the case and block the pending ban temporarily. The court has since agreed to hear oral arguments on January 10 before making a decision.
