TikTok has shared its newest EU content material enforcement and utilization numbers, as a part of its DSA disclosure reporting, which supplies some fascinating notes on moderation, consumer development, and extra throughout the area
The most recent report covers the interval between July and December 2024, and is the platform’s fourth DSA report. Below the EU Digital Providers Act, massive on-line platforms must share common knowledge on their efficiency in these key areas.
And whereas quite a lot of the data is in step with earlier developments, there are some factors of be aware.
First off, TikTok stories that it eliminated nearly 21.2 million items of content material within the interval for Group Tips violations, together with an additional 1.5 million for violations of its advert insurance policies.
The Group Tips violations are in step with the platform’s earlier DSA stories, however its advert removals have jumped considerably since its final replace (3.4x total).
Why?
TikTok noticed a 4x improve in removals attributable to “Deceptive and False Content material” within the interval, and the same improve in removals for “Grownup and Sexual Content material”.
There was additionally a 6x improve in removals for “IP Infringement”, so clearly, TikTok’s push into in-stream buying has seen it up its enforcement on this entrance.
However the greatest improve of all of them? A 19x leap in removals throughout the “Politics and Faith and Tradition” class.
Contemplating the assorted main elections throughout the interval, that’s not an enormous shock, however it’s fascinating to see how some politically-motivated teams seemingly sought to make use of TikTok to broaden their messaging. Possibly that labored to a point, however the removing numbers present that TikTok’s checking processes additionally caught out quite a lot of deceptive adverts as properly.
That might additionally level to extra censorship of “tradition” primarily based exercise, however there’s no particular breakdown of the removals within the report.
When it comes to content material moderation, TikTok stories having 5,807 individuals devoted to content material moderation of content material within the EU as of the tip of December 2024.
Which is a decline from its earlier stories.
In its final replace, revealed in October final yr, TikTok reported having 6,354 EU moderators, so it’s seemingly lowered that by 547 workers over the past six months.
That’s unlikely to make EU regulators too comfortable, although TikTok did put up a slight improve carefully workers final report (+67).
Possibly, then, that is only a correction in staffing, although it’s a big correction if that’s the case, which extra possible signifies that it’s placing extra reliance on its AI techniques to detect and spotlight potential points.
Certainly, TikTok additionally notes that:
“Within the second half of 2024, the accuracy charge for our automated moderation applied sciences was 99.1%. This builds upon the excessive accuracy we achieved within the first half of the yr, at the same time as moderation volumes elevated, reflecting our continued funding in enhancing precision and lowering incorrect removals.”
As such, evidently TikTok is lowering its reliance on human moderators over time, which is one other component to observe.
Lastly, when it comes to customers, TikTok stories having 159.1 million month-to-month energetic customers in Europe within the interval.
That’s a rise of round 9 million on its final report, which exhibits that TikTok is steadily rising within the area, and constructing its broader affect.
Which is nice information, as its future within the U.S. nonetheless hangs within the steadiness. The corporate can be seeking to improve its push on TikTok buying inside Europe to capitalize on its reputation.
Germany, France, Italy and Spain stay TikTok’s key EU nations, now with over 20 million customers every.
For context, the U.S. presently has round 170 million TikTok customers.
These are some fascinating notes, which level to TikTok’s growing efforts to stamp out sure parts, significantly referring to IP violations and deceptive merchandise.
As a result of these might erode confidence in its in-app gross sales instruments, and as such, TikTok wants to make sure that its techniques are detecting such, whereas it’ll even be fascinating to see how its removals associated to faith and politics shift, or not, over time.
You possibly can take a look at TikTok’s newest DSA report right here.
