TikTok removes 7M videos in 6 months over guideline breaches

ISTANBUL

TikTok removed 7.1 million videos from its platform in Türkiye during the first half of 2024 for violating community guidelines.

Emir Gelen, public policy director for TikTok in Türkiye, the Middle East, Africa Pakistan and South Asia (METAPSA), highlighted the platform’s efforts to maintain safety across its global network, where over one billion pieces of content are shared monthly.

To ensure compliance, TikTok employs artificial intelligence for automatic detection alongside a manual review process handled by a team of more than 40,000 moderators.

“Our moderation teams work to esnure the content aligns with our community rules,” Gelen stated.

Globally, more than 427 million accounts were closed between January and July 2024, including 379.7 million identified as fake and 41.8 million suspected to belong to users under the age of 13.

The recently published “Security and Transparency Report” revealed that around 7.1 videos were removed in Türkiye during this period, with 98 percent taken down before they were viewed and 88 percent removed within 24 hours.

Automated moderation technologies were responsible for 80 percent of the removals, up to 62 percent from last year, while proactive detection rates reached a record 98 percent. The re-upload rate of removed videos was halved compared to the same period in 2023.

Gelen emphasized that TikTok’s community guidelines are critical to ensure user safety and enhance the overall experience. The rules apply universally to all users and are regularly updated to address emerging risks.

“We are committed to investing in safety, including measure to enforce the minimum user age of 13,” he said.

Efforts include testing an AI-driven age verification system to identify false age declarations more effectively.