Short-form video hosting platform TikTok has revealed that it removed over 360,000 videos from its platform in Kenya due to violations of its community guidelines.
According to TikTok, in its Q2 2024 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report released on Wednesday, the move is part of its efforts to maintain a safer environment for users in the country.
The removed videos it said represent 0.3% of the total videos uploaded in the country in the latest reporting period.
According to the report, 99.1% of these videos were proactively removed before users reported them, with 95% taken down within 24 hours.
TikTok further notes that a total of 60,465 accounts were banned for violating its Community Guidelines, with 57,262 accounts being removed because they were suspected to be under the age of 13.
This update follows criticism from the Kenyan government, which accused TikTok of facilitating the spread of propaganda, enabling fraud, and distributing explicit sexual content.
While appearing before parliament earlier this year, Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, director of government and public policy for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, however, said the platform’s user policies and tools are developed to promote a positive and safe environment for its community. Known as Community Guidelines, Mgwili-Sibanda said these policies define a set of norms and a common code of conduct for TikTok users; they provide guidance on what is, and what is not allowed on the platform to make it a welcoming space for everyone.
“TikTok is an entertaining and joyful place because of the work we put into keeping the platform safe, including investing more than $2bn in our Trust and Safety efforts this year, globally. ‘’ Mgwili-Sibanda told parliament.
To address the concerns raised by the Kenyan government Mgwili-Sibanda said the platform will continue with capacity-building workshops for policymakers and regulatory agencies on how TikTok works, with a special focus on online safety, data privacy and how we moderate content on the platform.
‘’We value the opportunity to contribute to keeping our Kenyan community safe on our platform and look forward to collaborating more closely with all our stakeholders in Kenya including government, the media, civil society, parents, teachers, guardians and our wider community itself,’’ he said.
In an additional effort to demonstrate its dedication to regional safety, in August, TikTok appointed Kenya’s Lillian Kariuki among the eight members of its inaugural TikTok Safety Advisory Council for Sub-Saharan Africa.
TikTok said since 2020, it has established nine regional Safety Advisory Councils alongside the U.S. Content Advisory Council, each composed of experts in areas such as youth safety, free expression, and hate speech.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance said these councils play a vital role in shaping its policies, product features, and safety processes, ensuring the platform remains responsive to evolving challenges. It added that the newly launched Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council will further this effort by bringing together local experts who will collaborate with TikTok to develop forward-looking policies and address regional safety concerns.
‘’As TikTok continues to invest in cutting-edge moderation technologies, its commitment to transparency and platform safety remains at the forefront, ensuring a secure environment for its diverse user base across Kenya and globally.’’ the company said.
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