TikTok removed over 7 million videos in Türkiye during the first six months of 2024 for violating community guidelines, according to Emir Gelen, Public Policy Director for TikTok in Türkiye, the Middle East, Africa Pakistan and South Asia (METAPSA).
Of these, 98.67% were removed before being viewed by users, while 88.66% were taken down within 24 hours. Gelen shared these insights in an interview, highlighting the platform’s focus on user safety through robust moderation and AI technologies.
Global content moderation and account closures
Globally, TikTok has closed more than 427 million accounts between January and July 2024. Key statistics include:
- 379.7 million accounts were identified as fake and removed.
- 41.8 million accounts closed because of users being under 13 years old.
- Over 7 million accounts were removed for other community guideline violations.
Gelen emphasized that TikTok leverages AI and human moderators, including a team of over 40,000 professionals, to enforce community guidelines and improve content safety.
Türkiye’s content moderation highlights
In Türkiye, TikTok’s proactive content moderation reached newlevels in 2024:
- 7,097,236 videos were removed for guideline violations.
- Proactive detection rates increased to 98.2%, the highest ever for the platform.
- Re-upload rates for removed videos dropped by 50% compared to the same period last year.
According to Gelen, these measures reflect TikTok’s commitment to maintaining a safe and positive experience for its users.
Addressing fake accounts, age verification on TikTok
TikTok continues to develop automated systems to detect fake accounts and verify user ages. Gelen stated that the platform is testing advanced AI-based age verification technologies to reduce the number of accounts with false age declarations.
Family pairing, digital education initiatives
TikTok has prioritized safety features for young users, including the “Family Pairing” tool. Gelen highlighted its importance, saying it ensures that younger users can benefit from the platform safely and responsibly.
Additionally, TikTok is expanding its role beyond entertainment in Türkiye with initiatives like “#TikTokLiveAcademy,” which offers English and technology lessons.
Looking ahead to 2025
TikTok aims to redefine entertainment, e-commerce, and talent discovery globally, focusing particularly on child safety in online spaces. According to Gelen, the platform will prioritize these efforts in partnership with policymakers and regulators.
“The year 2025 will be a year where we continue to foster safer online environments for children, expanding our family pairing feature, and collaborating with global stakeholders,” Gelen said.
