TikTok has disclosed that a staggering 296,000 videos posted by Kenyan users were removed from the platform in 2023.
Fortune Sibanda, TikTok’s Public Policy and Government Relations Director, addressed the National Assembly’s Public Petition Committee, shedding light on the reasons behind the removal of these videos. He clarified that they violated community guidelines established by the platform.
Sibanda’s appearance before the committee followed concerns raised regarding the presence of violent, vulgar, and sexually explicit content in some videos on TikTok. He outlined that TikTok employs a self-regulating mechanism, which enables the identification and removal of harmful content.
“In the last year, we have taken down over 296,000 videos from Kenya alone. Around the globe 96.7 per cent of harmful content is taken down before it is reported, while 77.1 per cent of content is taken down before garnering any views,” he stated.
Moreover, Sibanda explained that artificial intelligence (AI) is utilized to flag potentially harmful content, which is then reviewed by human moderators proficient in the respective languages and culturally accepted standards of the countries involved.
“He stated that the AI is programmed using internationally set policy standards. The content is thereafter forwarded to human moderators conversant with the countries’ languages and culturally accepted policies.
“These policies, he states are guided by the local partners who help shape what is culturally accepted in different countries,” read the statement by Parliament.
During the committee hearing, it was revealed that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, had enlisted the services of a Kenyan-based company to assist in content moderation. This company reportedly employs 250 individuals tasked with monitoring and moderating content posted on the platform.
However, despite these measures, TikTok continues to face scrutiny over inappropriate content shared on its platform. Private citizen Ben Ndolo petitioned Parliament to consider banning TikTok in Kenya, alleging that the platform undermines the country’s cultural and social values due to certain objectionable videos.
The issue gained attention at the highest level of government when President William Ruto met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to discuss concerns regarding content moderation on the platform.