TikTok has stepped up its safety game in the Middle East and North Africa region, removing more than 16.5 million videos from January to March 2025 for breaking its Community Guidelines. The latest report covers Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the UAE, and Morocco, showing how the platform is clamping down on harmful content—especially on livestreams.
Massive Video Removals Across MENA
The Q1 2025 report shows TikTok isn’t shy about hitting the delete button.
- 16.5 million+ videos removed across MENA
- 849,976 LIVE hosts banned
- 1.5 million livestreams stopped
This surge in action is driven by advanced moderation tools that detect and remove harmful videos before they spread. TikTok says a big focus this quarter was on LIVE content, with global takedowns up 50% compared to the previous quarter.
Country-by-Country Breakdown
Here’s how the numbers look per country:
- Egypt: 2.9 million videos removed, 99.6% proactive detection, 347,935 LIVE hosts banned.
- UAE: 1.05 million videos removed, 98.2% proactive detection, 86,790 LIVE hosts banned.
- Morocco: 1.04 million videos removed, 98.9% proactive detection, 44,121 LIVE hosts banned.
- Iraq: 10+. million videos removed, 99.5% proactive detection, 346,335 LIVE hosts banned.
- Lebanon: 1.35 million videos removed, 99.5% proactive detection, 24,795 LIVE hosts banned.
Each country saw high proactive removal rates, meaning most harmful content never reached public feeds.
Appeals and Restorations Show Fairness
TikTok isn’t just about removals—it also restores videos when appeals succeed:
- Iraq: 209,291 videos restored
- Egypt: 144,605
- Morocco: 53,525
- UAE: 41,148
- Lebanon: 31,880
Transparency and Digital Literacy Efforts
TikTok employs a combination of automated systems and human moderators to enforce its rules. Users are always informed why their content is removed and can appeal the decision. The platform is also pushing digital literacy campaigns and partnering with media groups to encourage safer use.
FAQs
How many videos did TikTok remove in MENA in Q1 2025?
Over 16.5 million videos were removed for Community Guidelines violations.
Which country had the most removals?
Iraq, with over 10 million videos deleted.
Can users appeal a video removal?
Yes, and many appeals succeed, leading to restored content.
