TikTok launches sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council

Since 2020, TikTok has formed nine regional safety advisory councils and a US Content Advisory Council, bringing together experts in areas such as youth safety, free expression, and hate speech to help shape its policies and product features.

The SSA council members include Prof Guy Berger (Rhodes University, South Africa), Dennis Coffie (content creator from Ghana), Peter Cunliffe-Jones (visiting research fellow at the University of Westminster, UK), Aisha Dabo (co-founder and coordinator of AfricTivistes in Senegal), and Lillian Kariuki (founder and executive director of Watoto Watch Network, Kenya). 

The rest are Dr Akinola Olojo, an expert on preventing and countering violent extremism in Nigeria, Prof Medhane Tadesse, a policy academic on peace and security issues from Ethiopia, and Berhan Taye, an independent researcher also from Ethiopia.

According to TikTok, the experts will help develop policies and processes that address current safety concerns and anticipate future challenges, ensuring a secure environment for users in sub-Saharan Africa.

“With the launch of the Sub-Saharan Africa Safety Advisory Council, we are demonstrating our commitment to including expert African voices in our Trust and Safety work,” TikTok’s Global Head of Outreach and Partnerships, Trust and Safety, Valiant Richey, said. “This group of leaders was chosen for their broad range of expertise and experience, and we look forward to working with them over the coming years.”

The company added: “We hope that through thought-provoking conversations and candid feedback, we will find productive ways to support platform integrity and protect the interests of our community.”

In related news, TikTok this week bolstered its African operations by promoting Toyin Mustapha to head of music partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Concurrently, Nichal Sethi will manage its SoundOn distribution service across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), following its rollout in Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt.

Earlier this month, TikTok launched the #TikTokDiscoverYourself campaign highlighting the platform as a space for self-discovery, where users explore new passions and identities. The campaign spotlights creators like South Africa’s Papa Kenny finding his violin talent and Maremo blending amapiano with violin.