TikTok bans Nigerians from overnight live streaming

TikTok users across Nigeria were left puzzled over the weekend after the platform abruptly disabled its LIVE feature during late-night hours as part of what it called a “safety investigation.”

The restriction took effect on Sunday midnight, when multiple creators received an in-app alert notifying them that TikTok would be “temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria” to ensure user safety.

The message appeared only for creators with 1,000 followers or more — the minimum required to run LIVE sessions.

By late Sunday night, LIVE streams that had been active earlier were suddenly unavailable.

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It was gathered that from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., users attempting to go LIVE or watch broadcasts were greeted with a “No Access” tag.

The blackout also blocked access to LIVE content coming from outside Nigeria, effectively shutting down all overnight activity.

On Monday morning, TikTok quietly restored full LIVE access, prompting widespread speculation on social media.

Some users suggested it was linked to TikTok’s recent release of updated safety data for West Africa, while others viewed it as a test run for stricter regional policies.

TikTok has not offered additional details on the investigation or whether the overnight restrictions will recur.

The Star