PETALING JAYA – The short video platform TikTok has confirmed reports of employee layoffs in Malaysia as part of a global workforce reduction.

Through feedback to MDT, the company stated that it could not provide an exact number of affected employees due to different local employment processes worldwide.

However, TikTok expects hundreds of employees to be affected worldwide.

Its spokesperson said that the decision aligns with the platform’s ongoing efforts to enhance its content moderation capabilities.

“We expect to invest USD2 billion globally in trust and safety in 2024 alone and continue to enhance the effectiveness of our efforts, with 80% of violating content now removed by automation technology.”

Yesterday, the media reported that TikTok, owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance, laid off hundreds of employees in its unit in Malaysia.

Citing sources, the report indicates that more than 500 individuals received termination emails, with most of them working in content moderation roles on the platform.

In May, CNN reported that TikTok plans to cut a significant portion of its global operations and marketing workforce.

The global layoffs at that time affected the teams responsible for customer support, communication, content, and marketing.

In June, Bloomberg reported that ByteDance laid off 450 staff in its Indonesian unit following the acquisition of a local e-commerce firm, which was integrated into TikTok’s operations.

In the same month, the Chinese firm announced plans to invest RM10 billion in Malaysia to establish it as a regional hub for artificial intelligence. (AI). -MalayaDailyToday