TikTok has removed over 3.6 million videos from its Nigerian platform between January and March 2025, citing violations of its community guidelines.
This figure represents a 50 percent increase from the previous quarter. In its latest report titled: “TikTok’s Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report,’ Tiktok underscored that it is intensifying crackdown on harmful, misleading, or abusive content.
According to the report, 98.4 per cent of these videos were detected and removed proactively, before they could be reported by users, while 92.1 per cent were taken down within 24 hours of being posted, reflecting the growing efficiency of TikTok’s detection systems powered by advanced technology and human moderation teams.
“TikTok is committed to building a safe, respectful and trustworthy platform. We invest heavily in our enforcement systems to prevent harmful content from reaching users,” the company noted.
Despite the significant volume of removals, TikTok emphasised that the videos taken down represent only a small fraction of the total content uploaded by users in Nigeria each quarter. The vast majority, the report stated, are positive, educational, and entertaining.
TikTok’s content crackdown extended to its LIVE feature, with the platform banning 42,196 LIVE rooms and interrupting another 48,156 streams in Nigeria during the same period for violating its community rules. The company also strengthened its LIVE Monetisation Guidelines, making it clear that some types of content will not be eligible for revenue generation.
This move forms part of TikTok’s broader strategy to ensure that real-time content is just as regulated and safe as pre-recorded videos.
Beyond Nigeria, TikTok said it removed over 211 million videos globally in Q1 2025, up from 153 million the previous quarter, with over 184 million removed via automation. The platform’s global proactive detection rate reached 99 per cent, indicating significant improvements in identifying and removing harmful content swiftly.
Additionally, 129 accounts in West Africa were removed for operating covertly and violating TikTok’s policies on inauthentic behavior and misinformation.
Despite these sweeping actions, TikTok maintained that less than one per cent of all uploaded content globally violated its guidelines, a metric it sees as a testament to the overall health and quality of its platform.
In a bid to go beyond takedowns and address user well-being holistically, TikTok announced the expansion of its in-app helpline resources to Nigeria. This move follows a successful pilot in Europe and is being rolled out in partnership with Cece Yara Foundation, a local non-profit organisation focused on child protection and mental health.
With this feature, young users in Nigeria will be able to access localised helplines within the app to seek expert support for issues related to suicide, self-harm, hate speech, and harassment.
TikTok also introduced Dr. Olawale Ogunlana (Doctor Wales) as its new Digital Well-being Ambassador for Nigeria. The health professional joins a global group of verified experts under TikTok’s partnership with the WHO Fides Network, working to educate users on safety, mental health, and responsible content engagement.
The platform reiterated that it cannot achieve its safety goals alone. Through its #SaferTogether campaign, TikTok continues to encourage user participation in flagging harmful content, reporting abuse, and promoting a culture of kindness online. “Safety is a shared responsibility. We continue to work closely with experts, NGOs, and local communities to keep TikTok safe and inclusive,” the company stated.
The Q1 2025 enforcement report is the latest in TikTok’s effort to be transparent about its content moderation activities, especially as scrutiny intensifies globally over how social platforms handle misinformation, hate speech, and mental health risks.
