TikTok Temporarily Blocks LIVE Feature In Nigeria During Late-Night Hours For Safety Review
TikTok temporarily restricted its LIVE feature for Nigerian users during late-night hours as part of an ongoing safety review, the platform confirmed in an in-app notification to creators.
On Sunday at midnight Nigerian time, users received a system alert stating: “LIVE⚫ Notices
TikTok LIVE Update in Nigeria
We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”
Checks by PUNCH Online revealed that LIVE sessions, which had been accessible earlier, were blocked between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., with affected accounts showing a “No Access” label. The restriction also prevented creators from viewing LIVE broadcasts from other countries.
Only creators with at least 1,000 followers—the minimum required to host a LIVE session—received the notice. Several users confirmed that all LIVE activities were suspended overnight.
Despite the disruption, creators who earn through LIVE gifting retained their balances and previous earnings, easing concerns over potential financial losses. By Monday morning, LIVE access had been restored, sparking widespread speculation on social media about the cause of the nationwide pause.
Late-night hours are typically peak periods for Nigerian streamers hosting gaming sessions, entertainment shows, trends, and other interactive content that draw viewers and virtual gifts.
The move comes weeks after TikTok released updated safety data for West Africa. At its West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, the company reported taking action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators globally in the second quarter of 2025 for violating LIVE Monetisation guidelines. In Nigeria alone, 49,512 LIVE sessions were banned during the same period.
TikTok also disclosed that 3,780,426 videos in Nigeria were removed between April and June 2025 for breaching Community Guidelines, with 98.7% deleted before being viewed and 91.9% removed within 24 hours.
TikTok LIVE allows users to broadcast in real-time, engage directly with viewers through comments and virtual gifts, and host interactive sessions such as Q&As, talent showcases, or casual chats. To go LIVE, creators generally need 1,000+ followers, be at least 16 years old (18 to earn money), maintain a clean account, and use the ‘+’ button to select LIVE, adding a title and effects before starting.
