RIYADH — In line with the goals of Safer Internet Day 2023, TikTok is committed to fostering a fun and inclusive environment which makes it safer for users to engage, create, inspire, and connect. In this vein, TikTok maintains a constant stream of initiatives aimed at fostering a safe community where creative expression can thrive, including regularly releasing Community Guidelines Enforcement Reports, launching safety feature updates, and interactively engaging with the community.

Promoting safety to support creativity

Safety and creativity go hand-in-hand; when users feel secure, comfortable, and included, they are more inclined to express themselves authentically and creatively. This mission supports this year’s Safer Internet Day theme of “Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online.”

Enforcement of Community Guidelines in Q3 2022

To maintain a safe and positive environment for users, TikTok constantly takes action on content and accounts that violate their Community Guidelines or Terms of Service and regularly publishes information about these actions to stay accountable to the community.

According to TikTok’s latest Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for Q3 2022, the platform removed a total of 793,167 violating videos in the United Arab Emirates during this period, with another 2,164,069 videos being removed in Saudi Arabia. The proactive removal rates in the UAE and KSA respectively were 94.4% and 93.9%, indicating that a majority of videos were identified and removed before a report was submitted.

Recent initiatives for user safety

TikTok is constantly implementing new measures to enhance user safety by introducing new features, settings, and controls, with a focus on protecting younger users and providing them with more control over their experience, creating a safer way to engage.

In-app updates

TikTok sets the default privacy setting for all registered accounts ages 13-15 to private, making it safer for young users to connect safely. With a private account, only someone who the user approves as a follower can view their videos. The platform also increased the minimum age to host a TikTok LIVE from 16 to 18, and is currently testing a feature that would allow LIVE creators to restrict their livestream to adult users.

The platform has also reaffirmed its commitment as a safer space to be inspired through its introduction of a content classification system known as Content Levels, which organizes content based on thematic maturity, helping prevent content with overtly mature themes from reaching younger audiences between the ages of 13-17.

Building awareness and starting conversations

To complement these efforts, TikTok regularly engages with the community and activates partnerships across the region in order to build local awareness of the platform's safety features, as well as digital wellbeing more broadly.

In order to raise local awareness of its Family Pairing option, TikTok hosted interactive events in the UAE and KSA, where guests were able to learn and test their knowledge of TikTok's safety and digital wellbeing features. The platform also collaborated with parent creators for a series of elaborate video tutorials across the MENA region, as part of the #SaferForYou campaign.

TikTok also recently hosted its first-ever Mental Well-Being Summit in Egypt in support of World Mental Health Day, where guests from across the Middle East were invited to learn more about how to safeguard their mental wellbeing in both the physical and digital worlds. This came as part of TikTok's ongoing efforts for user safety and its commitment to build a supportive space where the community feels empowered to express themselves authentically.

Most recently, TikTok hosted events in Dubai and Riyadh, re-emphasizing the platform’s efforts to foster a safe, fun and inclusive environment. The events, hosted at Sereni-tea by Tania's Teahouse, Dubai and La Brasserie in Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh respectively, included a curated menu inspired by safety and security features on the platform. Attendees also took part in a fun group trivia contest which allowed them to test their knowledge on TikTok’s actions to keep the community safe.

A continuous journey

TikTok firmly believes that there is no finish line when it comes to protecting the safety and wellbeing of the community. In 2023, the platform will continue to uphold user safety as a top priority, constantly implementing updates, building partnerships, and raising awareness to keep TikTok a welcoming, enjoyable place for self-expression, connection, and entertainment.

Read more about TikTok's approach to user safety and wellbeing on the TikTok Safety Center.