TikTok recently announced the removal of 2.1 million videos in Nigeria as part of its ongoing effort to improve content moderation and create a safer platform, News About Nigeria reports.
According to TikTok’s Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for the second quarter of 2024, these videos were taken down for violating the company’s guidelines.
The videos represent less than 1% of all uploads in Nigeria during this period.
The report stated that 99.1% of the videos were removed proactively before users flagged them, and 90.7% were taken down within 24 hours.
TikTok said that this approach shows its commitment to staying ahead of potentially harmful content for users in Nigeria.
Globally, TikTok removed over 178 million videos in June 2024, with 144 million of those removed by automated systems, achieving a 98.2% proactive detection rate.
The company, owned by ByteDance, has said it is committed to investing in technology to strengthen content moderation and improve platform safety for its diverse user base worldwide.
In August, News About Nigeria reported that Bashir Ahmad, a former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, called for the regulation of the TikTok app.
He argued that the social media app TikTok is causing more harm than good for Nigeria.
Bashir stated that the platform is increasingly favoured by criminal elements and used by them to reach the public, and therefore requires stricter regulation by stakeholders.
He said, “It is alarming that TikTok, a global social media platform, is being utilised by criminals such as bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists in Nigeria to interact with the public and, in some cases, even engage in live conversations defending their heinous activities.
“The platform is causing more harm than good to our country, as it not only amplifies the voices of these criminals but also emboldens them by providing a space to spread their propaganda and misinformation. Nigeria needs stricter regulations and content monitoring on TikTok to prevent these dangerous individuals from using it for their malicious agendas.”
