TikTok halts nighttime LIVE in Nigeria amid abuse concerns

TikTok has suspended its late-night LIVE streaming feature for users in Nigeria following a spike in livestreams featuring explicit sexual content, including incidents where individuals performed sexual acts before large online audiences.

The restriction was announced on Monday through an in-app notification, with the company stating that it is carrying out a safety review to “ensure the platform remains safe and our community stays protected.” TikTok did not indicate when the feature will be restored.

At TikTok’s West Africa Safety Summit held in Dakar, Senegal, the company revealed internal data showing a sharp rise in misuse of its LIVE feature in Nigeria.

In the second quarter of 2025, TikTok issued warnings and removed monetisation from more than 2.3 million LIVE sessions globally, while over one million creators were penalised for violating monetisation policies.

Nigeria alone accounted for 49,512 banned LIVE sessions during the period — one of the highest recorded across the region.

In recent months, nighttime TikTok LIVE sessions in the country gained notoriety for hosting sexually explicit performances.

Some creators engaged in erotic acts in exchange for virtual gifts, while others coordinated adult-themed shows aimed at earning fast payouts through the platform’s gifting system.

The temporary suspension now blocks users in Nigeria from hosting or viewing LIVE broadcasts during the hours most linked to the proliferation of sexual content.

TikTok said the measure is part of a broader review of its safety and enforcement processes in the country, adding that similar actions have been taken in other markets facing spikes in policy violations.

The company has not given a specific timeline for when nighttime LIVE access will resume as its review continues.