A BBC investigation has revealed allegations that TikTok is benefiting financially from explicit livestreams involving teenagers as young as 15. Three women from Kenya shared that they began participating in these activities during their teenage years, using the platform to advertise and arrange payment for explicit content, which was then distributed through private messaging services.
Despite TikTok’s policy banning solicitation, the report suggests that the company is aware of such activities but has not taken sufficient action to curb them. Content moderators claim that TikTok takes up to 70% of revenue from livestream transactions, raising concerns about its financial motivations for allowing such content to persist.
TikTok has responded by stating that it maintains a “zero tolerance for exploitation” and enforces strict safety policies, which include extensive content moderation and partnerships with local experts to strengthen security measures.
Methods of Exploitation and Evasion
The investigation found that livestreams from Kenya are particularly popular, with up to a dozen suggestive performances being streamed nightly. These broadcasts attract global audiences, with many viewers sending virtual gifts that can be converted into real currency.
Prominent TikTok users with large followings often act as digital intermediaries, hosting these livestreams and taking a share of the earnings. Some of these individuals maintain backup accounts, suggesting they have previously been banned or suspended but continue to exploit platform loopholes to avoid detection. Their goal is to ensure performances remain provocative enough to encourage transactions while staying within TikTok’s moderation limits.
A BBC report captured one such instance in which a host instructed a performer, “When you’re dancing, move away from the camera, otherwise you’ll get blocked,” indicating an awareness of TikTok’s monitoring processes.
Content Moderation Issues in Africa
As TikTok expands into African markets, concerns about inadequate content moderation persist. Kenyan content moderators claim that the platform lacks sufficient staffing to monitor content effectively, allowing inappropriate activities to continue unchecked.
In 2023, Kenya’s President William Ruto met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to discuss the need for better content moderation. Following the meeting, the Kenyan government announced that TikTok had agreed to implement stricter regulations and set up a local office to oversee operations. However, according to content moderators interviewed by the BBC, no significant progress has been made even 18 months later.
A spokesperson for Teleperformance, a company contracted for TikTok’s content moderation, stated that their moderators “work diligently to tag and flag user-generated content.” However, they also noted that their clients’ systems do not allow them to remove violating content or report it to law enforcement authorities.
Global Legal Challenges Against TikTok
The BBC’s findings coincide with mounting legal challenges against TikTok in the United States over its alleged failure to protect minors. A lawsuit filed in Utah accuses the platform’s livestreaming feature of enabling money laundering, drug trafficking, and the funding of terrorist organizations. The lawsuit also claims that TikTok profits from child exploitation by allowing minors to participate in explicit livestreams.
Utah’s case is part of a larger legal battle, with 13 U.S. states filing similar lawsuits against TikTok. Some lawsuits focus on allegations of child exploitation, while others raise concerns about the platform’s impact on adolescent mental health and self-esteem.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in reference to a lawsuit in his state, stated, “TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits. TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content.”
Similarly, a lawsuit filed in Washington state likened TikTok’s livestreaming and virtual gift system to a virtual strip club “with no age restrictions.”
TikTok’s Official Response
TikTok has strongly denied the allegations raised in the lawsuits. A company spokesperson stated, “This lawsuit ignores the number of proactive measures that TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support community safety and well-being.”
The company also accused its critics of “cherry-picking misleading quotes and outdated documents” to misrepresent its commitment to user safety. TikTok continues to emphasize that it enforces strict content policies and works closely with safety experts to ensure its platform remains secure for users of all ages.
As investigations and legal proceedings unfold, questions persist about whether TikTok is taking adequate measures to prevent the exploitation of minors and to safeguard its global user base from harmful content.
