TikTok EU users reach 178 million as platform details 112 million content removals under DSA

TikTok’s monthly active audience in the European Union climbed to 178 million in the second half of 2025, according to the company’s latest transparency filing under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). The update, published February 27, marks the platform’s sixth DSA-mandated report and covers the period from July through December 2025.

The figure represents an increase of 8 million users compared with the previous reporting window (January–June 2025). Since October 2023, when TikTok reported 135.9 million monthly EU users, the platform’s regional audience has grown by roughly 31%, indicating sustained double-digit annual expansion across the bloc.

During the July–December 2025 period, TikTok removed approximately 112 million pieces of content for violating its Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, Advertising Policies and TikTok Shop rules. The total includes videos, livestreams, advertisements, product listings and — for the first time in DSA reporting — comments.

The company said 93.8% of violating content was actioned by automated systems without prior human review. Of those automated enforcement decisions, 97.6% were later confirmed as accurate, according to the report.

The largest categories of removals were tied to content involving regulated goods as well as material containing sensitive or mature themes. TikTok also reported ongoing efforts to detect and remove fake engagement, including fraudulent likes and inauthentic accounts.

The latest disclosure underscores TikTok’s increasing reliance on automation to manage moderation at scale. As usage grows, the company has emphasized the role of machine-driven detection in identifying policy breaches more quickly and limiting exposure to violative material.

The expanded reporting on comment removals signals a broader scope in transparency metrics under the DSA framework, which requires very large online platforms operating in the EU to provide detailed insight into content moderation, illegal content reporting, and appeals processes.

TikTok’s EU audience data adds further clarity to its global footprint. The platform previously reported more than 200 million users in the United States and 30 million in the United Kingdom, while Australian figures stood at over 8.5 million as of mid-2023. Combined with other major markets, these disclosures suggest the company is approaching the scale of a billion-user platform globally, though it has not formally confirmed that milestone.

Meanwhile, ByteDance’s China-based sister app Douyin reportedly surpassed 700 million users in 2024, underscoring the group’s extensive reach across both domestic and international markets.

Written by Sophie Blake

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