TikTok is cutting hundreds of UK jobs in its content moderation teams, sparking outrage from unions who say the move puts profits before people.
The social media giant plans to shift work to other European hubs while leaning more heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) to police harmful videos. The company says the change will make moderation “faster and more effective” and reduce the toll on human reviewers exposed to disturbing material.
But critics warn the cuts come at the worst possible time. John Chadfield of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) accused TikTok of “putting corporate greed over the safety of workers and the public,” warning that “immature AI tools” cannot replace human judgment.
The announcement also coincides with a union recognition vote by TikTok staff, raising suspicions about the timing.
TikTok says 85% of banned posts are already caught by its automated systems, but affected staff in London and Asia will now be forced to reapply for other roles within the company.
The shake-up comes as UK regulators tighten the screws on tech giants. Under the new Online Safety Act, firms face fines of up to 10% of global revenue if they fail to protect users, particularly children. TikTok is already under a major UK data watchdog investigation over how its algorithms affect young users.
While the company recently rolled out new parental controls, campaigners argue it still isn’t doing enough to safeguard teens online.
