TikTok Continues to Grow in EU, Reduces Moderation Staff

Posted on September 2, 2025
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of TikTok’s Latest EU Content Enforcement and Growth Report

TikTok’s EU audience has grown by 25% since September 2023, reaching 170 million users. The platform removed nearly 24.5 million pieces of content for Community Guidelines violations, a 15% increase from the previous period. Despite reducing human moderators by 26%, TikTok has significantly boosted its automated detection capabilities, particularly for youth safety and mental health concerns. The company is also ramping up enforcement around ads, especially for IP infringement and sensitive content, supporting its expanding in-app shopping efforts.

Optimixed’s Overview: TikTok’s Expanding Influence and Enhanced Moderation Efforts in the European Market

Steady Growth Across Europe

TikTok’s latest data demonstrates strong user growth across most EU countries, with the exception of Estonia and slower increases in Sweden, Denmark, and The Netherlands. The platform now boasts 170 million European users, underscoring its increasing footprint in the region despite geopolitical challenges elsewhere.

Improved Content Moderation and Enforcement

  • Content Removals: Nearly 24.5 million pieces of content were removed for violating community standards, marking a 15% rise.
  • Automated Detection: TikTok’s automation now handles up to 90% of mental and behavioral health violation detections, a major leap from 49% in 2023.
  • Youth Safety: Automated identification of youth-related violations increased to 77%, emphasizing TikTok’s focus on protecting younger users.
  • Human Moderation: Despite reducing human moderators by 26%, enforcement quality has not diminished, highlighting AI’s growing role.

Advertising and Intellectual Property Enforcement

TikTok removed 2.5 million ads in the first half of 2025, up significantly from 1.5 million last year. This includes a focused crackdown on:

  • Intellectual property infringements, with removals more than doubling.
  • Adult and political content ads, both seeing a twofold increase in removals.

These actions align with TikTok’s strategic push into in-app shopping across Europe, aiming to provide a safer and more reliable environment for business users.

Looking Ahead

While some challenges remain—such as a decline in automated detection of sexual content in ads—TikTok’s evolving moderation framework and expanding user base indicate a commitment to balancing growth with user safety. The platform’s reliance on AI solutions is expected to continue shaping content enforcement in the EU market.