TikTok, de popular social media platform wey China‘s ByteDance own, don announce say dem go sack hundreds of workers worldwide, including many in Malaysia. Dis decision dey part of their plan to use more artificial intelligence (AI) tools for content moderation.
According to sources, more than 700 jobs were initially reported to be cut in Malaysia, but TikTok later clarify say less than 500 workers in de country were affected. De affected employees, most of whom were involved in content moderation, receive email notification of their dismissal on Wednesday.
TikTok say dem dey make dis change as part of their ongoing efforts to strengthen their global operating model for content moderation. De company plan to invest $2 billion globally in trust and safety initiatives dis year and already, 80% of guidelines-violating content are being removed by automated technologies.
Dis layoffs come at a time when global tech firms, including TikTok, dey face greater regulatory pressure in Malaysia. De Malaysian government recently ask social media operators to apply for an operating licence by January to combat cyber offences. Earlier dis year, Malaysia report a sharp increase in harmful social media content, and authorities urge firms like TikTok to step up monitoring on their platforms.
ByteDance, de parent company of TikTok, has over 110,000 employees in more than 200 cities globally. De company also plan more retrenchments next month as dem consolidate some of their regional operations.
