TikTok has taken down over 21 million videos in the Philippines between April 2024 and May 2025 for breaching its community guidelines, the platform revealed during a Senate hearing on Thursday.
Peachy Paderna, Public Policy Manager at TikTok Philippines, told the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality that the vast majority of these videos were flagged and removed without user reports. “Of that 21 million, 99.7%, I believe, was proactively removed,” she said.
She added that 99.4% of the removed videos were taken down within 24 hours, showcasing TikTok’s swift response. These videos reportedly featured content involving nudity, sexual material, abuse, and exploitation.
Paderna stressed that regardless of who reports them—or whether they are reported at all—videos that violate guidelines are swiftly removed by the platform’s moderation team.
During the same hearing, cybersecurity officials warned about increasing threats tied to artificial intelligence (AI), especially those not yet addressed by existing laws.
Renato Paraiso, Deputy Executive Director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), flagged significant gaps in how AI-related offenses are handled. “There is a real big void when it comes to dealing with (AI-related) crimes,” he said, noting that even when such cases reach court, they’re often only prosecuted as identity theft.
He emphasized that AI-generated pornography is alarmingly viewed as a “victimless crime” by some, urging lawmakers to revise laws to keep up with fast-evolving digital technologies.
Under the current Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, offenses such as identity theft, cybersex, and child pornography are covered—but AI-generated deepfake content is not.
The Department of Justice reported 48 pornography-related cases, 17 of which involved children.
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Romeo Desiderio of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group said there have been no formal complaints related to AI or deepfakes yet. However, he said their cyber patrolling unit continues to monitor various online crimes.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Sara Sison cited data showing a rise in photo and video voyeurism—294 cases in 2023 and 362 in 2024—an 11% increase. She added that 85% of the victims were women.
“There seems to be a lack of reporting mechanisms,” Paraiso noted, adding that many victims are either unsure where to report, too afraid to come forward, or doubtful anything will be done.
