TikTok has temporarily restricted access to its LIVE feature for users in Nigeria during late-night hours, issuing an in-app notice to affected creators as part of an ongoing safety investigation.
At midnight Nigerian time on Sunday, users with at least 1,000 followers—the minimum required to host LIVE sessions—received a system notification stating:
“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.”
The restriction rendered LIVE sessions inaccessible between 11pm and 5am, with accounts showing a “No Access” label. Creators were also prevented from viewing LIVE broadcasts from other countries.
Despite the temporary halt, TikTok assured that balances and previous earnings from LIVE gifting remained intact, alleviating financial concerns for monetising creators.
LIVE access was restored by Monday morning, prompting discussions on social media and speculation over the sudden, nationwide restriction.
Night-time hours are typically peak periods for Nigerian streamers hosting gaming matches, entertainment segments, trends, and interactive sessions that attract viewers and virtual gifts.
The development follows TikTok’s West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, where the platform shared updated safety statistics. In Q2 2025, TikTok reported:
- 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators globally were restricted for violating LIVE monetisation guidelines.
- In Nigeria, 49,512 LIVE sessions were banned during the same period.
- 3,780,426 videos were removed in Nigeria for breaching community guidelines, with 98.7% taken down before being viewed and 91.9% within 24 hours.
TikTok LIVE allows users to broadcast in real-time, engage directly with viewers via comments and virtual gifts, and host Q&As, talent showcases, or interactive chats.
To access LIVE, creators generally need 1,000+ followers, be at least 16 years old (18 to earn), maintain a clean account, and use the in-app ‘+’ button to start a session with a title and effects.
