Stephen Blewett, CEO of MTN Ghana, has identified TikTok as the biggest consumer of data bundles on the MTN Ghana network, adding fresh detail to his ongoing explanation for why customers’ data appears to deplete faster than expected.
The revelation builds on comments Stephen Blewett made earlier this year addressing widespread subscriber complaints about rapidly disappearing data.
At an April media forum, he firmly rejected allegations that MTN manipulates or steals customer data, insisting the company has “zero incentive” to do so, since it would simply drive customers away.
Instead, he pointed to evolving smartphone usage patterns, background app activity, automatic updates, and growing demand for high-quality video streaming, as the real drivers behind faster data consumption.
Video-heavy platforms like TikTok are particularly data-intensive due to continuous autoplay, high-definition streaming, and constant content refreshing in the background, even when users believe they’re simply scrolling casually.
Stephen Blewett has previously urged customers to take a more active role in managing consumption, including adjusting video quality settings, restricting background data permissions, and monitoring app activity, as MTN continues a significant network expansion, including over $300 million in 2026 capital investment and a tenfold increase in new network sites.
