TikTok Removes Over 16.5 Million Videos in MENA During Q1 2025

TikTok has released its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for Q1 2025, offering a detailed look into how the platform is tackling harmful content across the MENA region. From January to March 2025, more than 16.5 million videos were removed from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the UAE, and Morocco for breaching TikTok’s Community Guidelines.

The platform also intensified its global moderation of livestreams, removing over 19 million LIVE videos—marking a 50% increase from the previous quarter. TikTok stated this increase reflects “ongoing investment in advanced moderation technologies that can detect violative livestreams quickly and consistently.”

In the first quarter alone, TikTok banned 849,976 LIVE hosts and proactively interrupted over 1.5 million livestreams across the five MENA countries.

Egypt saw the removal of 2.9 million videos, with a proactive detection rate of 99.6%. Around 94.3% were taken down within 24 hours. The platform also banned 347,935 LIVE hosts and halted 587,246 livestreams.

In the UAE, TikTok removed 1,051,226 videos, with a 98.2% proactive removal rate. Some 94% of content was taken down within a day. Enforcement also included the banning of 86,790 LIVE hosts and interruption of 140,295 livestreams.

Morocco recorded 1,040,981 video removals with a 98.9% proactive rate. TikTok also banned 44,121 LIVE hosts and disrupted 77,396 livestreams.

Iraq registered the highest number of removals at over 10 million videos, with a 99.5% proactive detection rate. A rapid response ensured 95.5% of harmful content was taken down within 24 hours. LIVE moderation led to 346,335 host bans and 649,551 interrupted streams.

Lebanon had 1,349,478 videos removed. Proactive detection reached 99.5%, and 96.9% of content was removed within 24 hours. TikTok also banned 24,795 LIVE hosts and interrupted 45,536 livestreams.

TikTok reinstated thousands of videos following successful user appeals. Iraq led with 209,291 restored videos, followed by Egypt (144,605), Morocco (53,525), the UAE (41,148), and Lebanon (31,880).

The platform continues to use a hybrid model of automated tools and human moderators to enforce rules. TikTok informs users when content is removed and provides a clear path for appeal.

Alongside enforcement, TikTok has prioritised digital literacy and community engagement across MENA. These efforts are part of what the company describes as “a comprehensive approach to user protection and platform integrity.”