TikTok layoffs | ByteDance to cut hundreds of jobs worldwide as platform moves to AI moderation: report

TikTok has announced it will cut hundreds of jobs worldwide as it shifts to AI-powered content moderation. A significant portion of these layoffs will affect employees in Malaysia, with fewer than 500 expected to lose their jobs.

The move comes as the platform seeks to strengthen its moderation efforts by combining human and automated systems to review content, according to a report from AFP.

A TikTok spokesperson confirmed that the restructuring is part of a broader plan to increase content moderation efficiency. “We expect to invest $2 billion in trust and security globally in 2024 alone and continue to improve the effectiveness of our efforts, with 80% of infringing content now removed through automated technologies,” the spokesperson said loudly AFP.

The job cuts follow months of speculation about TikTok's plans to downsize its global operations, particularly in its marketing and content moderation departments.

According to the company's website, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, employs over 1,10,000 people in more than 200 cities worldwide, the report added.

TikTok other challenges

The layoffs coincide with increasing regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where the government has required social media platforms to apply for operating licenses to curb rising cybercrime.

According to the report, Malaysia has witnessed a rise in malicious content online, prompting authorities to take action against online fraud, cyberbullying and other forms of cybercrime.

In another development, TikTok is facing legal challenges in the US. A lawsuit filed by the state of Kentucky, along with complaints from a dozen other states and the District of Columbia, alleges that TikTok's design features harm young users.

According to the lawsuit, internal communications indicate that TikTok was aware that its tools for limiting screen time were largely ineffective.

The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of misleading the public about its content moderation practices and prioritizing “beautiful people” in its algorithms. TikTok has denied these claims and called the lawsuit misleading.

“We have strict safeguards in place, including proactively removing suspected underage users,” said TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek, defending the company’s commitment to community safety, according to the report.

(With inputs from AFP)