TikTok has temporarily suspended access to its late-night LIVE feature in Nigeria following a sharp rise in sexually explicit livestreams, including incidents where users engaged in real-time sex acts before large online audiences.
The restriction was disclosed to Nigerian users on Monday through an in-app notification, in which the platform said it had launched a safety review to “ensure the platform remains safe and our community stays protected.” The company did not indicate when the feature would be restored.
At TikTok’s West Africa Safety Summit held in Dakar, Senegal, the company revealed internal enforcement figures showing growing misuse of the 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 violating monetisation rules.
Nigeria ranked among the highest offenders, recording 49,512 banned LIVE sessions within the same period.
In recent months, late-night TikTok LIVE streams in Nigeria have gained notoriety for hosting explicit sexual performances. Some creators engaged in erotic acts in exchange for virtual gifts, while others staged coordinated adult shows designed to generate rapid digital payouts.
The temporary ban now blocks users in Nigeria from hosting or viewing LIVE broadcasts during the night hours most associated with the spread of sexual content. TikTok said the measure is part of a broader overhaul of its safety systems in the country and noted that similar time-based restrictions have been implemented in other regions facing spikes in policy breaches.
The company has not provided a timeline for reinstating late-night LIVE access, stating only that the limitation will remain while its investigation continues.
1. TikTok Shuts Down Late-Night LIVE in Nigeria Over Surge in Explicit Streams
