TikTok shifts UK content moderation to AI, hundreds of jobs affected

TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, announced on Friday a reorganization of its UK content moderation operations as part of a global push to increase reliance on artificial intelligence.

The move could affect hundreds of jobs in the country.

A TikTok spokesperson told AFP, “We continue to reorganize our moderation services, a process we began last year.” The company said this includes consolidating operations in fewer locations worldwide and upgrading its content moderation capabilities with AI.

Some moderation roles will remain in the UK, and affected staff will be prioritized for internal redeployment. Moderators are responsible for removing hate speech, misinformation, and pornographic content.

The global restructuring, which also impacts countries including Malaysia, reflects a wider trend in social media to reduce dependence on human staff. TikTok says 85% of content removals for policy violations are now automated.

Since July 25, UK platforms must enforce strict age controls to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content under the Online Safety Act. The law also requires removing content promoting eating disorders, suicidal behavior, or self-harm.

TikTok has more than 30 million monthly UK users. In June, it announced 500 new jobs and opened a second London office, bringing its UK workforce to 3,000.

The platform, with over 1.5 billion users globally, faces scrutiny in Europe and the US over children’s mental health, data privacy, ties to Beijing, and influence on public opinion. TikTok could be banned in the US unless ByteDance relinquishes control by September 17.