TikTok’s latest EU report reveals content removals and user growth

TikTok has released its most recent transparency report on content moderation and user engagement within the European Union. As part of its Digital Services Act (DSA) compliance, the platform shared detailed insights into the enforcement of content policies and the growth of its user base from July to December 2024.

The report, marking TikTok’s fourth DSA disclosure, sheds light on significant moderation activities and policy enforcement. While much of the data aligns with previous reports, notable trends have emerged regarding content removals and the platform’s evolving approach to compliance.

During this period, TikTok removed approximately 21.2 million pieces of content for violating its Community Guidelines. Additionally, 1.5 million ads were taken down for breaching advertising policies.

One of the most striking findings is the sharp increase in removals due to “Misleading and False Content,” which surged fourfold. Similarly, “Adult and Sexual Content” violations saw a comparable spike. Intellectual property violations also rose significantly, with a sixfold increase in removals related to copyright infringement. This trend suggests that TikTok is strengthening its oversight as it expands in-app shopping features.

However, the most dramatic increase was observed in content categorized under “Politics, Religion, and Culture,” which saw an astonishing 19-fold jump in removals. Given the high-stakes political landscape during this timeframe, this suggests that politically motivated actors attempted to leverage TikTok’s reach for influence, only to be met with stricter content moderation.

TikTok’s report indicates that the company had 5,807 content moderators in the EU as of December 2024, a notable decline from the 6,354 moderators reported in the previous update. This reduction of 547 staff members may reflect an increased reliance on AI-powered moderation tools rather than human oversight.

TikTok highlights that its automated moderation technology achieved an accuracy rate of 99.1% in the second half of 2024. This suggests a growing shift toward AI-driven enforcement, potentially reducing reliance on manual review while improving efficiency in content moderation.

TikTok’s European user base continues to expand, reaching 159.1 million monthly active users, reflecting an increase of around 9 million compared to the previous report. This growth underlines the platform’s deepening foothold in the region, especially in key markets such as Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, where each country now boasts over 20 million users.