TikTok is set to cut several hundred UK jobs as part of a global restructuring of its trust and safety division, with the company increasingly relying on AI to moderate content.
The video-sharing platform said it was “concentrating our operations in fewer locations globally,” with the shake-up expected to affect staff in the UK as well as in South and South-East Asia.
In the UK, where TikTok employs more than 2,500 people, several hundred roles are understood to be at risk.
Under the proposals, the work of affected employees will be transferred to other European offices and outsourced to third-party providers, although some trust and safety functions will remain in the UK.
TikTok’s UK headquarters are currently in Farringdon, London, with a new office in Barbican due to open early next year.
A company spokesperson said: “We are continuing a reorganisation that we started last year to strengthen our global operating model for trust and safety, which includes concentrating our operations in fewer locations globally to ensure that we maximise effectiveness and speed as we evolve this critical function for the company with the benefit of technological advancements.”
TikTok has increasingly turned to AI to police content on its platform. The company says more than 85% of posts removed for breaching community guidelines are now detected and taken down through automated systems.
Unions have voiced concern over the planned TikTok layoffs, warning the cuts could jeopardise the safety of millions of UK users.
John Chadfield of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said:
“TikTok workers have long warned about the real-world risks of slashing human moderation teams in favour of hastily developed, immature AI systems. This has been a constant issue during efforts to secure union recognition.
For management to announce these cuts just as staff prepare to vote on union recognition smacks of union-busting and prioritising corporate greed over the safety of workers and the public.
