TikTok has released its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting a significant focus on safety and harmful content moderation across Kenya and globally. Between January and March 2025, the platform removed over 450,000 videos in Kenya alone for violating its Community Guidelines, underscoring its ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe digital environment for users.
Majority of Harmful Content Removed Before Views
According to the report, 92.1% of the videos removed in Kenya were taken down before they were viewed by anyone. An even higher proportion, 94.3%, were removed within 24 hours of being posted. This rapid response reflects the platform’s investment in advanced automated moderation technologies and a team of thousands of trust and safety professionals working around the clock.
Globally, TikTok maintained a proactive detection rate of 99% for violative content, ensuring most harmful material never reached viewers. Over 87% of video removals were handled by automated systems, highlighting increased reliance on AI tools to identify and address harmful posts quickly.
43,000 Accounts Banned in Kenya
In addition to video removals, TikTok banned just over 43,000 accounts in Kenya during Q1 2025 for repeated or severe guideline violations. These measures are part of ongoing efforts to combat spam, fake engagement, and harmful behavior on the platform.
The report indicates that threats such as fake accounts and engagement remain persistent globally. However, TikTok continues to enhance its detection systems to remove activities that artificially boost popularity or spread harmful content.
Stricter Enforcement on TikTok LIVE
LIVE content has been a particular focus area for TikTok. In Q1 2025, 19 million LIVE rooms were stopped worldwide, marking a 50% increase compared to the previous quarter. The platform attributes this to improved automated moderation accuracy while maintaining a steady rate of appeals, suggesting that harmful content is being caught earlier without significantly affecting legitimate streams.
TikTok has also refined its LIVE Monetisation Guidelines, making it clearer which content is eligible for monetisation, aiming to protect both creators and viewers from harmful practices.
Mental Health Support Expanded in Kenya
The platform has introduced new mental health support measures for young people in Kenya. Through a partnership with Childline Kenya, users now have in-app access to local helplines for issues related to suicide, self-harm, hate, or harassment. Childline Kenya provides free psychological support, counselling, and advice directly from within the app.
Additionally, TikTok has teamed up with Mental360 to create evidence-based content addressing mental health awareness and stigma. As part of this initiative, Dr. Claire Kinuthia has been appointed as one of TikTok’s African Mental Health Ambassadors to ensure access to reliable resources.
Ongoing Improvements in AI Moderation
TikTok’s report highlights early testing of large language models (LLMs) to support proactive moderation, particularly for detecting harmful comments. These AI advancements are designed to increase precision, consistency, and speed in identifying violative content while reducing the mental strain on human moderators.
Encouraging Community Reporting
Despite technological improvements, TikTok continues to encourage user participation in keeping the platform safe. The app urges its community to report any harmful content or accounts via its Help Center, fostering a collaborative approach to online safety.
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