Gabon has adopted a firm stance on digital regulation, and TikTok is now aligning with national policies following constructive discussions with government officials. During the recent AI for Good / WSIS summit in Geneva, the Minister of Digital Economy, Mark-Alexandre Doumba, engaged in talks with TikTok’s regional leadership to review the platform’s compliance with Gabon’s updated social media laws.
The meeting comes amid Gabon’s intensified efforts to regulate digital platforms more strictly. Key topics included social media governance, user safeguarding—particularly for minors—and TikTok’s commitments to adhere to the country’s new legal framework.
The delegation from TikTok, led by Emir Gelen, Regional Director for Middle East, Eurasia, and Africa (MEA), and joined by Deputy Director Maria Cohn, presented a comprehensive report on their moderation efforts for the first quarter of 2026. The platform disclosed that 23,504 sensitive posts were removed during this period, including:
- 13,930 contents endangering minors’ safety and well-being
- 10,784 posts promoting regulated goods, services, or activities
- Content involving sexualization, abuse, or physical harm to minors, which formed the majority of removals
TikTok emphasized significant improvements in its moderation tools, claiming that 99.8% of violating content was detected and removed before users could report it—with 92.9% flagged prior to any views. Additionally, 97.2% of problematic posts were removed within 48 hours, and 4,352 accounts were permanently banned in the same timeframe.
Following the discussions, Gabon’s authorities and TikTok agreed to extend their collaboration for the next twelve months, aligning with the compliance period set by the national ordinance regulating social media in Gabon.
For Minister Mark-Alexandre Doumba, this partnership aims to balance digital innovation with citizen protection. He underscored the government’s priority to combat misinformation, cyberbullying, hate speech, and other harmful content that could impact young users’ mental health.
The dialogue signals Gabon’s commitment to fostering a safer, more responsible digital environment while ensuring strict adherence to local legislation—a balance TikTok appears determined to uphold.
