TikTok Deletes 450k Videos, 43k Accounts in Kenya Over Policy Violations
- TikTok explained the reasons for deleting several user accounts and videos globally, including 450,000 clips by Kenyan creators
- A banned content creator clarified her frustration, demanding that TikTok address her matter, which she claimed was general to small creators
- TikTok proposed a new model to improve moderation accuracy and reduce future protests and confusion
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Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok has deleted more than 450,000 videos and 43,000 user accounts in Kenya during the first quarter of 2025 as part of a global crackdown on content violating its community guidelines.
Source: Getty Images
The purge, which occurred on videos posted between January and March, targeted content that breached the platform’s rules on issues such as misinformation, harassment, harmful content, and underage usage.
In Kenya, TikTok has become the most popular social media platform among young users, including many under 18 who use it to share entertaining clips, campaign for justice, and earn a living.
TikTok defended its approach, stating that its high proactive detection rate is helping limit the spread of harmful material.
It emphasised that accurate moderation is essential to counter the effects of hate speech, misinformation, and violence on the platform.
How many videos were deleted globally?
Globally, TikTok removed over 211 million videos in the same period, with more than 187 million taken down through automated systems.
Of the removed content, over 7.5 million videos were later restored after review.
In addition, 6.4 million accounts were removed worldwide for violations ranging from guideline violations to impersonation and underage access.
As per TikTok, over 99% of violative content was removed before it was reported by users, and more than 90% before it gained any views.
The platform noted that 94% of all takedowns occurred within 24 hours of posting.
The platform also reported stopping 19 million live rooms worldwide during the same quarter.
The ban sparked protests with one user, identified as @justourluck1, criticising the platform for banning her content despite allegedly adhering to its rules, accusing TikTok of making life harder for small creators.
"@TikTok Support, do you care to explain why? Everything I do, on all platforms, on all streams, every single day, is to your bloody standards. You really are making things hard for small creators! Two weeks ago, it was a ban for saying thank you in streams for gifts?" she posted.
What is TikTok doing to prevent harmful content?
TikTok’s moderation efforts are underpinned by increasingly advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and automated systems.
The company reported that its moderation tools removed more harmful content than ever in the past quarter, and that it is now testing large language models (LLMs) to enhance detection precision, speed, and consistency at scale.
“LLMs can comprehend human language and perform highly specific, complex tasks. This can make it possible to moderate content with high degrees of precision, consistency, and speed,” said TikTok.
Meanwhile, the company said the number of user appeals remained stable despite increased automation, which it cited as evidence of the system's growing accuracy.
Why was Hon Mosquito arrested?
In other news, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sleuths arrested Shedrack Omondi Okindo, alias Hon. Mosquito, over a viral TikTok video containing seditious and inciting content.
Source: Twitter
A search of his residence in the Miritini area in Mombasa uncovered tactical combat gear, mobile phones, and documents linked to the Justice Direction Party.
The arrest followed public alarm over the video's threats to public order and national stability.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
