Yesterday, according to Retuers, TikTok, the ByteDance-owned social media giant, is laying off hundreds of employees as it shifts towards more AI-driven content moderation. The job cuts primarily impact the content moderation team, with Malaysia seeing the largest reduction, affecting fewer than 500 employees, despite earlier reports suggesting over 700 job losses. The layoffs were communicated via email on Wednesday.
This move is part of TikTok’s broader strategy to streamline its global moderation operations, focusing on improving efficiency through artificial intelligence. Currently, 80% of content violations are handled by automated technologies. As TikTok invests $2 billion globally in trust and safety initiatives, the company aims to strengthen its approach to maintaining platform safety.
While the job cuts are taking place amidst growing regulatory pressures in Malaysia, where social media firms must obtain an operating license by January, TikTok also plans to further consolidate its operations next month. These efforts come as global tech companies face increasing demands to combat harmful online content, particularly in regions like Malaysia, where authorities have reported a significant rise in harmful social media posts this year.
