he ByteDance logo is seen at the company's office in Shanghai, China July 4, 2023.
Social media giant TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has laid off hundreds of employees globally, including a significant number in Malaysia, as the company moves towards increasing its use of AI in content moderation.
TikTok Layoffs Impact Malaysian Workforce
According to two sources familiar with the situation, over 700 jobs were cut in Malaysia, though TikTok later clarified that the actual number was fewer than 500. The affected employees, many involved in content moderation, were informed of their dismissal via email on Wednesday. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity.
TikTok confirmed the layoffs in a statement to Reuters, explaining that the job cuts are part of a broader strategy aimed at improving its content moderation operations. The company stated that several hundred employees worldwide are expected to be impacted by this shift.
Transition to AI-Driven Content Moderation
TikTok currently uses a combination of automated AI detection and human moderators to review content shared on its platform. However, with these changes, the company is placing greater emphasis on AI technologies to handle trust and safety operations.
The platform’s spokesperson emphasized the company’s goal of improving efficiency. Notably, 80% of content that violates TikTok’s guidelines is now removed by automated systems.
Future Retrenchments and Regulatory Pressure
ByteDance, which has over 110,000 employees in more than 200 cities globally, is also planning additional retrenchments next month to streamline its regional operations, according to one source.
This news comes as global tech companies, including TikTok, face increasing regulatory scrutiny in Malaysia. The Malaysian government has requested social media platforms to apply for operating licenses by January to help combat cyber offenses. Earlier this year, Malaysia reported a surge in harmful content on social media and urged companies like TikTok to strengthen their content monitoring processes.
$2 Billion Investment in Trust and Safety
Despite the layoffs, TikTok remains committed to investing heavily in trust and safety, with plans to allocate $2 billion globally towards these efforts in 2024. The company will continue to develop its AI systems to enhance content moderation and ensure a safer online environment.
The layoffs were first reported by The Malaysian Reserve on Thursday.
