TikTok has suspended its late-night LIVE streaming feature for users in Nigeria following a spike in sexually explicit broadcasts, including cases where individuals performed sexual acts before large online audiences.
The restriction, announced Monday via an in-app notice, comes as the company launches a safety review to “ensure the platform remains safe and our community stays protected.” No date has been set for the feature’s reinstatement.
At TikTok’s West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, the company revealed troubling internal data showing a sharp rise in the misuse of its LIVE feature in Nigeria.
In the second quarter of 2025 alone, TikTok issued warnings and demonetised more than 2.3 million LIVE sessions globally, while over one million creators were penalised for monetisation-related violations. Nigeria accounted for 49,512 banned LIVE sessions, one of the highest figures in the region.
In recent months, late-night TikTok LIVE sessions in Nigeria have drawn widespread criticism for hosting sexually explicit performances. Some creators engaged in erotic acts in exchange for virtual gifts, while others organised adult-themed shows to earn 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 associated with the proliferation of explicit content.
TikTok said the move is part of a broader overhaul of its safety and enforcement processes in Nigeria, noting that similar restrictions have been imposed in other markets experiencing spikes in policy violations.
The company has not provided a timeline for the restoration of nighttime LIVE access as the review continues.