TikTok lays off staff in Malaysia, hundreds affected globally

PETALING JAYA: In response to social media posts about layoffs in Malaysia, TikTok stated it cannot provide a precise figure due to varying local employment regulations worldwide.

It said, "We anticipate that several hundred people will be impacted globally."

TikTok announced plans to automate its content moderation process, stating in a statement today (Oct 11), "We expect to invest US$2bil (RM8.5bil) globally in trust and safety in 2024 alone and are continuing to improve the efficacy of our efforts, with 80% of violative content now removed by automated technologies."

Users on X (formerly Twitter) claimed that the company has laid off hundreds of staff at parent company ByteDance Malaysia.

A local portal has also cited a source, claiming that more than 500 employees were affected by the move, mostly from the content moderation side.

TikTok said that changes were being made as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen its global operating model for content moderation.