Kenya
TikTok Pledges $200,000 in Ad Credits to Boost AI Media Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Global social media platform TikTok has announced a $200,000 investment in advertising credits to support initiatives that promote artificial intelligence (AI) media literacy across Sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement was made during the third annual Sub-Saharan Africa Safer Internet Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The funding aims to help local organizations expand public understanding of artificial intelligence and tackle the growing challenge of misinformation in the digital age. The new commitment builds on TikTok’s $2 million AI Literacy Fund, launched in November 2025, which supports nonprofit organizations globally in developing educational content that improves public awareness about AI technologies.
The two-day summit brought together government officials, regulators, industry experts, and online safety advocates to discuss the future of responsible digital ecosystems in Africa. Panels focused on key issues including digital safety, protecting young users online, and developing policy frameworks for responsible AI governance.
TikTok representatives emphasized that as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into social media platforms, improving digital literacy is essential to ensure users understand how AI-generated content works and how to identify misinformation.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok is already working with several organizations to strengthen digital literacy efforts. Among them is Mtoto News in Kenya, which produces youth-focused digital media designed to educate young audiences about responsible technology use.
Another partner, Africa Check, is expanding its fact-checking work across countries including Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya to help citizens identify AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes.
TikTok is also collaborating with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), a media and technology think tank that operates the independent fact-checking platform DUBAWA. The initiative aims to strengthen public discourse by combating misinformation and promoting fact-based reporting.
According to Valiant Richey, education is a critical component of responsible AI adoption.
“With the rapid advancement of AI, we are committed to educating our community online so they feel empowered to have responsible experiences with AI, whether that’s as viewers or creators,” Richey said. “Partnering with trusted local organizations ensures that these programs are relevant and impactful.”
The summit also highlighted how TikTok uses artificial intelligence to improve both content discovery and platform safety. AI tools help power content recommendation systems, moderation technology, and creative tools used by millions of creators worldwide.
Delegates were briefed on TikTok’s transparency initiatives, including requiring creators to label realistic AI-generated content, deploying advanced detection technology, and collaborating with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity to verify the origin of digital media. The platform also uses tools such as Content Credentials and invisible watermarking to help identify AI-generated content across online platforms.
With more than 100 million videos uploaded daily, TikTok relies on a combination of automated moderation systems and human reviewers to maintain platform safety. According to its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for Q3 2025, the platform removed over 14 million videos in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 96.7 percent detected proactively through automated systems.
The summit concluded with renewed commitments from policymakers and technology leaders to strengthen digital safety initiatives across the region. Discussions focused on improving collaboration between governments, regulators, technology companies, and civil society organizations.
Tokunbo Ibrahim said the summit’s goal is to develop practical solutions for protecting users online.
“As we host the third annual Safer Internet Summit here in Kenya, our mission is clear: to share insights, address challenges, and collaboratively advance solutions that protect citizens online,” Ibrahim said.
Officials from across the region also welcomed the initiative. Kenny Morolong noted that cooperation between African governments and technology companies is essential to building a safe digital environment.
“By attending this summit, we look forward to collaborating on responsible AI governance, enhancing transparency, and strengthening digital safety measures to ensure secure online environments for users across the continent,” Morolong said.
The Safer Internet Summit series first launched in Ghana in 2024 and continued in Cape Town the following year. The Nairobi gathering marks the latest step in deepening partnerships between governments, technology platforms, and civil society groups working to address the evolving challenges of digital safety in Africa.
