NAIROBI, Kenya- In what may be one of the boldest digital clean-ups in Kenya’s online space this year, TikTok has confirmed the removal of over 450,000 videos and the banning of more than 43,000 accounts between January and March 2025.
The platform cited widespread violations of community guidelines, including content involving impersonation, hate speech, misinformation, and underage users.
The data, part of TikTok’s Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, places Kenya among the top countries in Africa for enforcement actions — and the numbers are staggering.
According to the report, 92.1% of the removed videos were taken down before they were even viewed, thanks to TikTok’s beefed-up AI moderation tools. An even larger share, 94.3%, were deleted within 24 hours of being posted.
The purge reflects TikTok’s increased investment in safety protocols, especially as Kenya’s youthful population continues to dominate the app’s user base. The platform’s blend of music, memes, challenges, and livestreams has turned it into a digital playground — but also, at times, a digital minefield.
TikTok has also permanently banned over 43,000 Kenyan accounts. These were largely flagged for serious or repeat offenses like: creating fake or impersonation profiles, posting sexually exploitative content involving minors, spreading harmful disinformation, violating TikTok’s age limit (13 years and above)
This comes amid growing pressure from Kenyan authorities, tech watchdogs, and digital parenting groups urging platforms to safeguard vulnerable users, especially children and teens who make up a huge portion of TikTok’s audience in the country.
But it’s not all deletions and bans. TikTok Kenya has partnered with organizations like Childline Kenya and Mental360 to provide mental health and child protection resources right within the app.
These partnerships allow users to report inappropriate content or seek psychological support — a move that signals TikTok’s intention to offer more than just entertainment.
Globally, TikTok deleted over 211 million videos in Q1 2025, with 99% removed proactively. In addition, nearly 20 million livestreams were ended mid-broadcast, while billions of fake likes, comments, and follows were also wiped out.
But Kenya’s numbers are especially eye-catching — and reflective of the explosive growth of TikTok in East Africa, particularly among Gen Z.
So far, TikTok has not released a list of high-profile bans or clarified whether any major Kenyan content creators were affected.
