TikTok removed 648,885 videos uploaded from Somalia between April and June 2026, as part of a wider regional effort to enforce its platform rules and restrict content it considers to violate its community guidelines.
Data from the company’s second-quarter 2026 enforcement report shows that millions of videos were removed across seven East African countries, placing Somalia among the countries significantly affected by the moderation campaign.
Ethiopia recorded the highest number of removals, with 2,124,471 videos taken down. Kenya followed with 750,185, while Uganda recorded 677,018.
Tanzania had 499,830 videos removed, compared with 66,859 in South Sudan and 58,616 in Rwanda. Combined, the seven countries accounted for approximately 4.83 million removed videos, according to an analysis of TikTok’s enforcement figures.
In Somalia, the 648,885 videos removed during the three-month period represented an 8.6 per cent decline compared with the first quarter of 2026.
The figure reflects content that TikTok determined had breached its platform rules, but it does not mean that every removed video was illegal or had caused actual harm.
TikTok’s community guidelines cover a broad range of material, including content involving violence, fraud, hate speech, harassment, sexual material and other categories considered harmful or inappropriate.
The number of videos removed should also be distinguished from the number of accounts suspended, as a single account can have multiple videos taken down.
Kenya was among the other countries with a high number of removals. TikTok reported that 99.8 per cent of the videos removed there were identified and taken down before users reported them.
The company also said that 93.8 per cent were removed within 24 hours of being uploaded.
In addition, more than 46,000 accounts in Kenya suspected of belonging to users under the age of 13 were removed for failing to meet the platform’s minimum age requirements.
The enforcement measures have generated debate in Kenya, where some content creators have raised concerns that automated moderation systems can misinterpret humour, local languages and educational material.
Others have welcomed stricter enforcement, particularly measures aimed at protecting children and limiting harmful content.
Across the seven countries, Ethiopia accounted for the largest share of removals, while Somalia, Kenya and Uganda also recorded substantial figures.
The regional data illustrates the scale of TikTok’s enforcement activities, although differences in the number of users and videos uploaded in each country mean that removal totals alone do not establish which population faces the highest rate of moderation.
Automated detection systems and artificial intelligence play a central role in TikTok’s enforcement process. The company said its automated systems identified 97.4 per cent of all videos removed globally during the second quarter of 2026.
Human moderators also review certain decisions, particularly when users appeal against the removal of their content.
TikTok’s rules prohibit material that promotes violence, hatred, fraud, harassment and certain forms of sexual content, as well as misleading material and videos that could put children at risk.
The company has also strengthened requirements governing AI-generated content, particularly realistic-looking videos depicting people or events.
These measures can have significant consequences for people who rely on TikTok to reach audiences, promote businesses or earn income.
Journalists, entertainers, educators and commercial content creators may lose visibility, audience engagement and advertising opportunities when their videos are removed.
Some creators have argued that automated systems do not always understand the context of a video, particularly when it contains local expressions, satire or language that may be difficult for moderation technology to interpret.
TikTok’s appeals process provides users with an opportunity to challenge decisions they believe were made incorrectly.
According to the analysis of the seven countries, Somalia recorded 5,130 videos restored following successful appeals, equivalent to approximately 0.8 per cent of the 648,885 videos initially removed.
This was among the lowest reported restoration shares in the regional comparison.
Globally, TikTok said it removed approximately 188.3 million videos during the second quarter of 2026, out of more than 42.2 billion videos uploaded during the period.
The removals represented roughly 0.4 per cent of all videos published on the platform. The company also reported that nearly 6.3 million videos were restored after users successfully appealed their removal.
The figures show that TikTok’s moderation system involves both enforcement and review procedures, allowing users to challenge decisions when they believe their content was wrongly taken down.
For Somali users, particularly journalists, creators and businesses, understanding the platform’s guidelines is increasingly important.
News publishers should take particular care when posting footage of conflict, injuries, violence or other sensitive events, while avoiding unverified claims and material that could mislead or harass individuals.
Creators using artificial intelligence to produce realistic-looking videos should also follow TikTok’s disclosure requirements, especially when generated material depicts real people or events in a way that could be mistaken for authentic footage.
Users who believe their videos have been removed unfairly can submit an appeal through the notification provided by TikTok, explaining why they consider the content compliant with the platform’s rules.