TikTok removed an unprecedented 7,464,081 videos in Nigeria between January and June 2025, averaging more than 41,000 deletions every day. The platform’s latest transparency report shows just how aggressively TikTok has been enforcing its community guidelines as harmful content continues to grow.
The data suggests a platform that is both under increasing pressure and becoming far more efficient at stopping violative content before it spreads.
AI Moderation Is Getting Faster — and Smarter
One of the standout trends in the report is TikTok’s improved ability to catch harmful videos before anyone sees them.
- In Q1 2025, 88.2% of removed Nigerian videos had zero views.
- In Q2, this rose slightly to 88.3%.
This means nearly 9 out of 10 harmful videos were identified and removed instantly.
Much of this progress comes from TikTok’s AI moderation system, which now handles the majority of enforcement:
- 3.1 million Nigerian videos removed by automation in Q1
- 3.27 million removed in Q2
- AI contributed 84–86% of all takedowns
User reports are also being resolved faster. TikTok handled 73.8% of reports within two hours in Q1 and 77.8% in Q2, with fewer than 10% taking more than eight hours.
For a platform once criticised for slow moderation during viral crises, this marks a major improvement.
Why Nigerian Videos Were Removed: The Most Common Violations
Nigerian content flagged and removed in H1 2025 fell largely into four categories:
1. Safety & Civility
Videos involving harassment, hate speech, bullying, and dangerous viral challenges saw high enforcement, especially among youth.
2. Regulated Goods & Illegal Commerce
This category, which covers counterfeit items, prohibited sales, and fraudulent schemes — remained one of the top triggers for removal.
3. Mature or Sensitive Content
Graphic violence, explicit adult material, and disturbing imagery contributed heavily to takedowns.
4. Youth Safety
Content involving minors was detected at near-perfect proactive rates, reflecting TikTok’s prioritisation of child safety.
However, two types of content continue to evade TikTok’s early-detection systems.
TikTok’s Weak Spots: Scams and AI-Generated Misinformation
Despite major gains in moderation, TikTok still struggles with fast-evolving digital threats:
- Scam and fraudulent content had a pre-view removal rate of only 44.4% in Q1
- AI-generated deceptive media stood at 46.6%
These categories often bypass automated systems because they evolve quickly and are engineered to appear legitimate.
Some classifications even worsened in Q2 , such as disordered-eating-related content, where pre-view detection fell to 19.8%.
Scam-related videos were also slower to remove, with only 61.8% taken down within 24 hours.
Content Removals Have Skyrocketed Worldwide — Nigeria Included
TikTok’s global enforcement has accelerated sharply:
- Below 50 million takedowns in 2020
- Over 200 million in 2025
- Automated removals surged from under 20 million to almost 180 million
Nigeria’s rise is even more dramatic:
- 859,458 removals in Q3 2022
- 3.68 million removals in Q1 2025
- 3.78 million removals in Q2 2025
Although TikTok removed millions more videos, mistaken takedowns remain low:
- Q1 2025: 4.7% of removals overturned
- Q2 2025: 3.9% restored
Live Streams Also Under Strict Scrutiny
TikTok’s enforcement extended to live content:
- 49,512 live streams were removed in Nigeria during Q2 2025
- Q1 saw similar patterns
- Safety violations and monetisation-abuse were the most common offences
The crackdown reflects TikTok’s commitment to securing its fast-growing live streaming ecosystem.
What This Means for Nigerian Users
TikTok has become significantly safer for Nigerian creators and viewers. Harmful content is being flagged faster, detected earlier, and removed more accurately than in previous years.
Yet major threats remain:
- Scam-related content
- Deepfakes
- AI-generated misinformation
As TikTok remains one of Nigeria’s biggest digital communities, the platform’s ability to adapt to these threats will determine how safe the experience becomes for its millions of users.
