UAE: Tiktok Removes Over 1 Million Videos In 3 Months For Violating Guidelines

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

More than 1 million videos were taken down in the UAE by TikTok in the first three months of 2025, as part of a major crackdown on content violating its community guidelines. The platform also banned nearly 87,000 live hosts and shut down over 140,000 livestreams in the country during the same period.

The figures come from TikTok's latest Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which outlines how the company is scaling up its safety measures across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. From January to March this year, more than 16.5 million videos were removed across five Mena countries: the UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Morocco.

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In the UAE alone, TikTok recorded a 98.2% proactive removal rate, meaning nearly all harmful content was flagged and taken down before users could report it. Additionally, 94% of violative content was removed within 24 hours, showing rapid moderation turnaround.

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Regional snapshot

Across the Mena region, TikTok's moderation activity has surged:

Iraq saw over 10 million video removals, with a 99.5% proactive rate and nearly 650,000 livestreams shut down.

Egypt followed with 2.9 million videos removed, and more than 347,000 live hosts banned.

Lebanon recorded 1.3 million removals and nearly 45,000 livestreams interrupted.

Morocco saw just over 1 million videos taken down and over 77,000 livestreams disrupted.

TikTok also reported strong performance in its appeals process. If users believe a video was removed in error, they can appeal the decision. In the UAE, 41,148 videos were restored after successful appeals. Iraq topped the chart with over 209,000 restorations, followed by Egypt, Morocco and Lebanon.

How does TikTok moderate?

TikTok said it relies on both automated systems and human moderators to enforce its guidelines. Users receive notifications when content is removed and can challenge the decision.

The company is also rolling out digital literacy initiatives and community engagement programmes in the region to educate users about safe content practices.

The Q1 2025 report, TikTok said, reflects its“ongoing investment in advanced moderation technologies” and its goal of maintaining“a safe, respectful and inclusive environment.”

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