TikTok removes 750,000 videos in Kenya over content violations

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 9 – TikTok removed more than 750,000 videos in Kenya for violating its community guidelines in the second quarter of 2026, highlighting the growing operational and regulatory demands facing digital platforms as online content consumption expands.

The short-video platform said it took down 750,185 videos between April and June, with 99.8 percent removed before users reported them, while 93.8 percent were taken down within 24 hours of publication.

The removals point to the increasing reliance on artificial intelligence and automated moderation systems to manage content at scale, as technology companies face mounting pressure to address misinformation, harmful material and online safety concerns.

TikTok also interrupted 80,640 LIVE sessions in Kenya during the period for violations of its community guidelines, while removing more than 46,000 accounts suspected to belong to children below the age of 13.

“About 99.8 percent of the videos removed in Kenya were taken down proactively before anyone reported them, and 93.8 percent were removed within 24 hours of being posted,” the company said in its Q2 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report.

Globally, TikTok removed approximately 188.3 million videos out of more than 42.2 billion videos published during the quarter, representing about 0.4 percent of total uploads.

Automated systems accounted for 97.4 percent of global video removals, underscoring the platform’s growing dependence on artificial intelligence to identify and enforce content violations.

However, the company reinstated approximately 6.3 million videos globally following successful appeals, raising questions about the accuracy of automated moderation and the balance between content safety and users’ freedom of expression.

In Kenya, nearly 11,000 videos were removed under TikTok’s policies on edited media and artificial intelligence-generated content as the platform stepped up efforts to address the risks associated with synthetic media.

The company has also introduced an in-app AI Literacy Hub in Kenya to educate users on identifying AI-generated content and using the technology responsibly.

The developments come as digital platforms face increasing scrutiny over child protection, misinformation and the economic and social consequences of harmful online content.

TikTok said it requires creators to label realistic AI-generated material and uses Content Credentials technology to help identify content created or significantly altered using artificial intelligence.