Lagos, Nigeria – The social media platform TikTok has implemented a temporary, nationwide restriction on its LIVE streaming feature for Nigerian users during late-night hours, citing an internal review to combat the surge of “inappropriate and adult-type activities” on the platform.
The restriction, which took effect shortly after midnight on Sunday, December 8, 2025, blocks users from hosting or viewing LIVE streams between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM Nigerian time.
The Safety Investigation
The decision comes after a significant spike in content violations, particularly concerning exploitative and sexually explicit acts being broadcast on the platform’s real-time feature.
In an in-app notice sent to eligible creators, the company confirmed the move was part of a safety investigation:
“We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”
The restriction, which also temporarily prevented Nigerian users from viewing LIVE streams hosted in other countries, is a drastic measure to allow the platform to review safety rules and tighten control over content broadcast during peak night hours.
Context: A Surge in Violations
The temporary ban follows a period of intense scrutiny over content moderation in the region. Recent data released by TikTok at its West Africa Safety Summit in November 2025 highlighted the scale of the issue:
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Banned Sessions: Between April and June 2025 (Q2), TikTok banned 49,512 LIVE sessions in Nigeria alone for violating its content and monetization guidelines.
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Video Removals: In the same period, the platform removed over 3.78 million videos originating from Nigeria for breaching Community Guidelines.
The enforcement actions underscore the company’s efforts to address the emerging concerns related to harmful behavior, including a reported surge in users broadcasting sexual activity during late-night hours.
Impact on Nigerian Creators
The decision has triggered frustration among Nigeria’s creator community. Night-time hours are typically considered the peak viewing period in Nigeria, especially for entertainment shows, interactive sessions, and content streams that attract a high volume of virtual gifts—a major source of income for many creators.
While creators who earn through LIVE gifting have been assured that their balances and previous earnings remain intact, many argue that the blanket restriction disproportionately affects compliant users and effectively cuts off their primary earning window on the platform.
TikTok has not specified an end date for the restriction but stated that it will share updates once the safety checks are complete.
