Kuala Lumpur: TikTok is laying off hundreds of employees globally, including a significant number in Malaysia, as it shifts its focus towards AI-driven content moderation. Reports indicate that over 700 jobs were cut in Malaysia, though TikTok later clarified the number was below 500.
The layoffs primarily affected the content moderation department, with employees being notified via email on Wednesday. TikTok confirmed that several hundred employees worldwide would be impacted as part of efforts to improve moderation efficiency. The company, owned by ByteDance, plans to invest $2 billion in trust and safety this year, with 80% of violating content now being removed through automated technologies.
In response to reports by Reuters, TikTok confirmed the layoffs and said that several hundred employees were expected to be impacted globally as part of a wider plan to improve its moderation operations.
TikTok employs a mix of automated detection and human moderators to review content posted on the site. ByteDance has over 110,000 employees in more than 200 cities globally, according to the company website.
The technology firm is also planning more retrenchments next month as it looks to consolidate some of its regional operations, one of the sources said.
“We’re making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to further strengthen our global operating model for content moderation,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
The company expects to invest $2 billion globally in trust and safety this year and will continue to improve efficiency, with 80% of guidelines-violating content now removed by automated technologies, the spokesperson said.
The layoffs were first reported by business portal The Malaysian Reserve on Thursday.
The job cuts occur as global technology firms face greater regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where the government has asked social media operators to apply for an operating licence by January as part of an effort to combat cyber offences.
Malaysia reported a sharp increase in harmful social media content earlier this year and urged firms, including TikTok, to step up monitoring on their platforms.
(Inputs from Reutuers)
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