ByteDance’s popular short video platform, TikTok, has announced that it removed over 3.6 million videos uploaded by Nigerian users during the first quarter of 2025 for violating its community guidelines — marking a sharp 50% increase from the 2.4 million videos taken down in the preceding quarter.
The data, detailed in TikTok’s Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, highlights the platform’s ongoing efforts to foster a safe, respectful, and authentic digital environment, especially in one of its fastest-growing markets.
TikTok revealed that its proactive detection rate in Nigeria reached 98.4%, meaning the vast majority of violative content was identified and removed before being reported by users. Additionally, 92.1% of these videos were taken down within 24 hours of being flagged.
Covert accounts and LIVE stream crackdowns
In addition to video removals, TikTok announced in March that it had dismantled 129 accounts in West Africa linked to covert influence operations.
LIVE content also came under stricter scrutiny. In Nigeria alone, the platform banned 42,196 LIVE rooms and interrupted 48,156 LIVE streams during the first quarter. These actions targeted content found to breach TikTok’s community guidelines and newly tightened LIVE Monetization Guidelines, which outline strict eligibility criteria for earning revenue on the platform.
Global push against spam and fake engagement
Globally, TikTok took down a staggering 211 million videos between January and March 2025, up from 153 million in the previous quarter — a record-breaking figure for the platform. Notably, over 184 million of these removals were automated, reflecting TikTok’s increasing reliance on AI-driven moderation tools.
The company also addressed widespread spam and fake engagement, removing 44.7 million fake comments and a massive 4.3 billion fake likes in Q1 alone. TikTok explained that these likes, follows, and comments were generated through “automated or inauthentic mechanisms,” often designed to artificially boost popularity.
“We remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement,” TikTok said in the report. “Despite persistent attacks probing our systems, we are committed to swiftly removing any accounts or content attempting to manipulate our ecosystem.”
TikTok’s broader challenges and regulatory headwinds
While TikTok’s enforcement numbers demonstrate a significant ramp-up in global moderation, the company continues to face mounting legal and regulatory scrutiny.
In October 2024, 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok, accusing the platform of failing to protect young users and intentionally designing its app to be addictive.
Filed in jurisdictions including New York, California, and Washington D.C., the lawsuits allege that TikTok exploits children’s vulnerability to maximize profits, fueling mental health concerns and raising questions about the effectiveness of its content moderation efforts.
The cases have intensified TikTok’s ongoing legal battles in the U.S., where regulators and lawmakers have repeatedly raised alarms about data privacy, children’s safety, and potential national security risks posed by the Chinese-owned company.
Looking ahead
Despite heavy enforcement, TikTok notes that less than 1% of global content uploaded to the platform violates its guidelines — a statistic it often highlights to reassure users and regulators about the platform’s overall safety.
As TikTok continues to expand its presence in Nigeria and other emerging markets, experts believe that its strict enforcement policies, combined with community education and transparent reporting, will be critical to maintaining user trust and securing its future amid growing global scrutiny.
