TikTok reaffirmed its commitment to online safety at the Second Annual Sub-Saharan Africa Safer Internet Summit in Cape Town, South Africa.
The event brought together government officials, regulators, and industry leaders from across the region, including representatives from South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Government and Industry Leaders Push for Digital Safety
South Africa’s Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Hon. Solly Malatsi, opened the summit, stressing the need for collaboration between governments, tech platforms, and communities to create a safer digital space.
Helena Lersch, TikTok’s Vice President for Public Policy, highlighted the platform’s ongoing efforts:
“We are continually evolving our policies and practices to safeguard our platform so our community can discover and do what they love. This summit reinforces the importance of industry and government partnerships in shaping a safe digital ecosystem.”
Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, TikTok’s Director of Public Policy & Government Relations for Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized the need for collective action to protect young users online.
Content Moderation on the Rise
TikTok’s latest Community Guidelines Enforcement Report shows a 249.81% increase in content removals across Sub-Saharan Africa between Q2 2023 and Q4 2024.
This reflects TikTok’s ongoing investments in content moderation technologies and its commitment to maintaining a positive and safe online space for users.
#SaferTogether Initiative Expands
As part of its commitment to digital safety, TikTok is expanding its #SaferTogether campaign across Africa:
- In Kenya, a partnership with youth protection group Eveminet has educated over 406,000 students, teachers, and parents on online safety.
- In Nigeria, TikTok partnered with NITDA and Data Science Nigeria (DSN) to launch Phase 2 of its safety awareness program, reaching more parents across multiple states.
- Across Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok has also partnered with local content creators to enhance awareness of its safety features and Community Guidelines.
Moving Forward
TikTok says the summit is a key step in strengthening digital safety in Africa and will continue working with regulators, policymakers, and civil society to ensure safer online spaces.
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