TikTok has revealed that it removed more than 16.5 million videos across the MENA region between January and March 2025 for violating its Community Guidelines, according to its latest quarterly enforcement report. The figures cover Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the UAE, and Morocco, offering insight into the platform’s ongoing moderation efforts.
The company also reported a sharp rise in enforcement against harmful livestreams, blocking over 19 million violative LIVE broadcasts globally — a 50% increase from the previous quarter. Across MENA, more than 849,000 LIVE hosts were banned and over 1.5 million livestreams were interrupted before they could continue.
Country Breakdown
- Iraq topped the list with more than 10 million videos removed, achieving a 99.5% proactive removal rate and deleting 95.5% of violative content within 24 hours. TikTok also banned 346,335 LIVE hosts and halted 649,551 livestreams.
- Egypt saw 2.9 million video removals, with a 99.6% proactive detection rate. Over 94% were deleted within 24 hours. The platform banned 347,935 LIVE hosts and disrupted 587,246 streams.
- Lebanon recorded 1.35 million removals, with a 99.5% proactive rate and nearly 97% removed within a day. TikTok banned 24,795 LIVE hosts and ended 45,536 streams.
- UAE removals reached 1.05 million, with a 98.2% proactive rate and 94% taken down within 24 hours. The platform banned 86,790 LIVE hosts and stopped 140,295 streams.
- Morocco had 1.04 million videos removed, with a 98.9% proactive rate and over 92% removed within 24 hours. TikTok banned 44,121 LIVE hosts and blocked 77,396 streams.
Appeals and Restored Content
TikTok also restored content when successful appeals were made, with Iraq seeing the highest number of reinstated videos (209,291), followed by Egypt (144,605), Morocco (53,525), the UAE (41,148), and Lebanon (31,880).
Balancing Automation and Human Review
TikTok’s moderation relies on a combination of automated detection systems and human reviewers. Users are informed when content is removed and can appeal decisions, ensuring accountability and fairness.
The company says it will continue investing in AI-driven moderation tools, alongside human oversight, to keep harmful content off the platform while running digital literacy campaigns and safety partnerships to promote responsible use.
The Q1 2025 enforcement report, TikTok says, underscores its focus on transparency and its goal of creating “a space where creativity can flourish, and all users feel secure.”
