TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance, has announced the layoff of hundreds of employees globally, including a significant number from its Malaysia office. The move comes as part of the company’s shift towards integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its content moderation processes, a spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
Initial reports suggested that over 700 jobs were slashed in Malaysia, but TikTok later clarified that fewer than 500 employees were affected. According to sources close to the matter, most of the staff laid off were involved in the company’s content moderation operations. The affected employees were notified of their dismissal via email late Wednesday, with the news first reported by The Malaysian Reserve on Thursday.
In response to inquiries, TikTok explained that the layoffs are part of a larger global restructuring plan aimed at improving the efficiency of its moderation efforts. The company plans to streamline operations, with further retrenchments expected in the coming months.
“We’re making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our global operating model for content moderation,” a TikTok spokesperson said. The company emphasized that it remains committed to investing in trust and safety, with plans to allocate $2 billion globally towards these efforts in 2024. TikTok also noted that it has made significant strides in automating content moderation, with 80% of harmful content now being removed by AI technologies.
TikTok currently employs both automated systems and human moderators to monitor and review the vast amount of content uploaded to its platform. However, as the company increasingly turns to AI for content moderation, the need for large teams of human moderators is expected to decrease.
The layoffs come amid growing regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms in Malaysia, where the government has called on companies to step up efforts to combat harmful content. Earlier this year, Malaysia saw a spike in cases involving harmful online material and urged platforms like TikTok to enhance monitoring. In response, the Malaysian government introduced a requirement for social media operators to obtain an operating license by January 2024 as part of broader efforts to tackle cyber offenses.
This move by TikTok reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are relying more on AI to streamline operations while facing mounting regulatory challenges in key markets.