#SaferTogether: Examining TikTok’s unique content policy engagement approach for Africa

As the ByteDance-owned platform, TikTok continues to gain viral acceptance, especially among the young population globally, its team has demonstrated a commensurate commitment to creating a safer space for all users by updating its Community Guidelines and using an inclusive and collaborative approach to achieve compliance.

The short video platform’s approach to safety adherence is unique because, rather than achieving compliance using extreme sanctions, like some similar platforms, it relies on partnerships with key stakeholders including policymakers, members of academia, NGOs, and community leaders. TikTok aims to foster a collaborative approach to getting users’ buy-in.

One event that perhaps emphasizes this approach was a digital literacy session hosted by Eveminet in partnership with the Kenya Scout at Zetech University in Juja, Thika. At the event, safety champions taught teenagers the basics of TikTok’s community guidelines using illustrations they can easily understand.

Founded by Evelyn Kasina, Eveminet Communications Solutions Limited, an information and communications technology consultancy firm in Kenya, has empowered 116,000 Kenyans since October 2023. Kasina is driven by the passion to create an online space that is safe for youth and young adults, especially through educating families and key stakeholders.

This passion led her to partner with TikTok to cultivate a digital ecosystem rooted in trust, joy and creativity for young Kenyans. According to the social platform, the #SaferTogether workshops have so far benefitted over 64,000 students between the ages of 13 and 24 across Kenya, reaching more than 467 parents and 346 teachers in total.

Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, director of government and public policy for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said that the training has engaged participants, including learners, parents and educators across 21 of Kenya’s 47 counties, who have benefited from hybrid sessions to equip them with digital safety knowledge within their communities.

“Our commitment to safety in Kenya extends beyond current achievements. From April to September 2024, we aim to cover the remaining 26 counties, ensuring nationwide access to essential digital safety education,” he added.

The event also has in attendance TikTok’s head of public policy programmes for the Middle East, Africa, Turkiye, Pakistan and South Asia, Zara Higgs, Head of compliance for the Kenyan Film Classification Board, Emmah Irungu, the Vice-Chancellor of Zetech University, Professor Njenga Munene and Assistant Data Commissioner at Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), Emmanuel Maiyo.

Read also: TikTok launches Safety Advisory Council for Sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi

#SaferTogether campaign across Africa

Recall that in November 2022, TikTok launched its #SaferTogether campaign in Nigeria, the first in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the event, the company also announced a partnership with the Data Scientists Network (DSN) to support its awareness programme.

Through this partnership, DSN will conduct in-community workshops with parents, teachers, and guardians in schools in Abuja and Lagos, educating and empowering them to understand the digital world and how they can help young people stay safe online.

At the Lagos event, TikTok also unveiled a centralised location for safety updates called the Safety Centre and the Guardian’s Guide to provide updated resources for parents and guardians. TikTok creators and users are encouraged to visit the Safety Centre to stay up-to-date on the latest TikTok safety initiatives.

It also hosted a Peace Live session with stakeholders to discuss the realities of the internet and how communities can encourage online safety awareness. The session was hosted by Nigerian content creator, Tijani Aboh Alexander (i_am_tjan). Panellists include Lanre Olagunju, Fact-checker Editor at The Cable, Babatope Falade-Onikoyi, Managing Partner at Onikoyi Consulting, and Olubayo Adekanmbi, Founder and CEO of DSN.

In the same vein, TikTok, earlier this year announced an official partnership with the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate (WGYD) at the inaugural TikTok Safer Internet Summit in Ghana.

The partnership, it said, will help deliver digital literacy programmes across Africa, guiding young people and their caregivers on how to diversify their livelihoods using digital platforms, safely and engagingly. 

Similarly, Safaricom has been a long-standing strategic partner of TikTok, collaborating on several mobile and network initiatives over the past several years, including TikTok data bundles and participating in the #LevelUpAfrica Creator event.

Read more: TikTok strengthens community safety through #SaferTogether initiative

Going forward…

Recall that at the launch of its inaugural Safety Advisory Council for Sub-Sahara Africa, TikTok announced an expansion of its #SaferTogether community education campaign.

According to Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, this iteration of the #SaferTogether campaign is designed to engage the community actively in promoting a basic understanding of the platform’s community guidelines and safety features.

He noted that TikTok’s commitment to creating a safer space for all will be driven by an inclusive and collaborative approach, going forward. “The community empowerment campaign highlights the importance of safety being a shared responsibility. With the additional layer that the Safety Advisory Council presents, we believe that safety can be achieved, collectively”, he added.

This initiative will include workshops, social media outreach, and partnerships with key stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of following TikTok’s community standards.

If consistently executed, these campaigns will foster a collaborative front that will create a secure environment for creative expression in Africa- one that similar social media platforms will eventually benefit from.

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