TikTok recently convened its second Annual Africa Safer Internet Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, uniting government officials, regulators, and industry leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa. Delegates from South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and other nations gathered to address pressing issues related to online safety, content moderation, and digital policy development.
The Summit highlights TikTok’s ongoing commitment to prioritizing user safety in Africa while fostering open discussions with policymakers to establish frameworks that protect users' rights while driving innovation and creativity in the digital space.
Government and Industry Collaboration on Digital Safety
The event was inaugurated by South Africa's Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Hon. Solly Malatsi, who underscored the need for collaboration among governments, technology platforms, and communities to build a safer digital ecosystem.
Helena Lersch, TikTok’s Vice President for Public Policy, reaffirmed the platform’s dedication to user safety and the role of partnerships in enhancing digital security.
“Billions of people come to TikTok every day to create, share and connect, and we're continually evolving our policies and practices to safeguard our platform so our community can discover and do what they love. This summit underscores the importance of collaboration between industry leaders and regulators in shaping a digital ecosystem that is both innovative and secure," said Lersch.
Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations for Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized the importance of collective efforts in digital safety, noting that the Summit provides a platform for knowledge-sharing, enhanced collaboration, and the protection of young users online.
Enhancing Content Moderation in Africa
TikTok shared insights on its growing efforts in content moderation across Sub-Saharan Africa, revealing a 249.81% increase in content removals from Q2 2023 to Q4 2024. This aligns with the platform’s global standards for content moderation and its Community Guidelines Enforcement efforts.
According to TikTok’s latest Community Guidelines Enforcement Reports, the platform has strengthened its use of automated moderation technology and human safety experts to detect and remove harmful content before it reaches users. Between July and September 2024, TikTok globally removed over 147 million videos, 118 million of which were detected and removed automatically.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok removed over 7.5 million videos in Q3 2024, increasing to more than 8 million in Q4 2024—a 14.06% quarter-on-quarter rise. Notably, 99.5% of these videos were removed before any user reports, reflecting TikTok’s proactive approach to content moderation.
North Africa saw similar trends, with over 7 million videos removed in both Q3 and Q4 2024, representing an 8.70% increase in takedowns, with 99.3% occurring before user reports.
These efforts reaffirm TikTok’s ongoing commitment to creating a safer and more positive online environment through advanced content moderation technology and strict policy enforcement.
#SaferTogether - Driving Digital Safety Awareness
As part of its broader commitment to digital safety, TikTok continues to expand its initiatives across Africa through strategic partnerships and educational programs promoting digital literacy and responsible content creation.
The #SaferTogether campaign, launched in 2022, remains central to these efforts. In Kenya, the initiative, in partnership with Eveminet, has reached over 406,000 participants through in-person workshops, equipping communities—including students, teachers, and parents—with the necessary tools for responsible online engagement.
In Nigeria, TikTok has launched Phase 2 of #SaferTogether in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Data Science Nigeria (DSN). Building on the success of Phase 1, which educated parents in Abuja, Lagos, and Kano on TikTok’s safety features, the second phase aims to expand safety awareness nationwide.
TikTok has also engaged local creators across Sub-Saharan Africa since September 2024 to promote its safety features and Community Guidelines.
In Egypt, TikTok signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Journalists Syndicate to enhance digital awareness, media literacy, and the detection of misinformation and online privacy risks. As part of this partnership, a one-day workshop equipped journalists and media professionals with essential digital safety skills, reinforcing TikTok’s commitment to supporting a well-informed and digitally literate society.
Empowering Youth Voices - Global Youth Council
TikTok is expanding its Global Youth Council in 2025 to enhance African representation. Originally launched in 2023, the Council has nearly doubled in size, now comprising 28 members from 15 countries, including new representatives from Nigeria, Cameroon, Canada, Qatar, and Australia. Returning members from Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the UK, and the US will continue for a second term.
The Youth Council plays a pivotal role in shaping TikTok’s safety, well-being, and inclusivity policies, ensuring young users have a voice in the platform’s future.
The Safer Internet Summit remains a crucial forum for industry leaders and policymakers to exchange best practices. Through collaboration, TikTok aims to ensure digital spaces remain secure, inclusive, and conducive to creativity while maintaining effective governance and innovation.
"We value forums such as TikTok's Safer Internet Summit, which bring policymakers into one room for a shared purpose: keeping internet users safe. We are incredibly proud to be a partner of TikTok's #SaferTogether campaign. This collaboration not only underscores our shared commitment to fostering a safer online environment, but also opens new avenues for innovation and collaboration that will enable us to scale our efforts effectively for a safer internet for all." — Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director, Regulation and Compliance, NITDA.
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