Iraq records highest TikTok violations in MENA

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq led the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in TikTok rule violations during the second quarter of 2025, according to the platform’s enforcement report.

Across the Middle East, the report noted, TikTok took extensive action to enforce its community guidelines between April and June 2025, removing more than 19 million videos and live streams.

The platform removed 8.31 million videos in Iraq, the highest number in the region, with a 99.5% proactive removal rate and 189,000 videos restored after successful appeals.

In Egypt, TikTok proactively deleted 2.93 million violating videos, removing 95.8% of them within 24 hours, banned 524,000 live stream hosts, and suspended 1.18 million violating live streams. Lebanon also removed 1.06 million videos, achieving the fastest response in the region by taking down most violating content within 24 hours.

These figures add to TikTok’s first-quarter report from January to March 2025, which recorded the removal of more than 16 million videos across MENA, including 10 million from Iraq alone.

Iraq’s Ministry of Communications previously announced intentions to ban TikTok in the country, where more than 34 million people use the app, due to family concerns over its negative impact on societal values.

Read more: Iraq’s TikTok debate: digital growth vs. cultural norms