TikTok removes 1 million videos. Picture: iStock
TikTok has removed more than 1.1 million videos in South Africa for violating its Community Guidelines during the fourth quarter.
The short video platform released its Q4 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, underscoring its commitment to building a safe and trusted online environment.
Videos
Remarkably, 99.9% of the videos in South Africa were proactively taken down before being reported, while 98.4% were removed within 24 hours of posting.
“These figures highlight the strength of our detection systems and the speed at which we act to protect our community,” TikTok said in the report.
“We are committed to ensuring harmful content is removed before it can spread.”
Young users
The report also highlights TikTok’s efforts to protect younger users. In South Africa, 520,515 accounts suspected to belong to children under 13 were removed.
“Protecting minors is a cornerstone of our safety strategy,” the company noted. “We will continue to enforce age restrictions to safeguard young people online.”
NOW READ: US announces ‘framework’ deal with China to resolve dispute over TikTok
Globally
Globally, TikTok removed 175.3 million videos in Q4 2025, representing about 0.5% of all content uploaded. Of these, 152.5 million were detected and removed using automated technologies, while 8.3 million were reinstated after review.
The platform achieved a 99.1% proactive removal rate worldwide, with 93.4% of flagged content taken down within 24 hours.
TikTok Live
TikTok LIVE also came under scrutiny. In South Africa, 188,499 Live rooms were interrupted for guideline violations. Globally, enforcement actions were taken against 17.7 million LIVE sessions and 9.2 million creators, including warnings and demonetisation.
“Warnings are designed to educate creators when their content may breach LIVE monetisation policies,” TikTok explained.
“This gives them the opportunity to make necessary changes before stricter penalties are applied.”
AI
AI‑generated content is another area of focus. TikTok removed 13,369 AI‑generated or edited videos in South Africa during Q4 2025 for breaching guidelines.
The platform requires creators to label realistic AI‑generated content and has introduced tools such as invisible watermarking and C2PA Content Credentials to strengthen detection.
“We are layering multiple strategies to ensure AI‑generated content is clearly identified,” TikTok said. “Transparency is key to maintaining trust.”
These measures have helped label over 1.3 billion videos to date.
Enforcement
TikTok said its enforcement strategy combines automated moderation with human expertise from thousands of trust and safety professionals worldwide.
“Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy, but safety will always come first,” the company stressed.
“We will continue to invest in technology and people to keep our community safe.”
The full Q4 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report is available on TikTok’s transparency portal.
ALSO READ: McDonald’s South Africa brings FIFA World Cup 2026 excitement to fans nationwide
