TikTok, the globally popular video-sharing platform, announced it will lay off several hundred content moderators in the United Kingdom as part of a strategic shift to AI-powered content moderation. This move forms part of a wider global restructuring aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating reliance on artificial intelligence technologies to manage online safety and content filtering.
TikTok’s Major UK Layoffs amid AI Transition
The social media giant, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, plans to reduce its UK workforce by approximately 300 employees primarily working in trust and safety roles focused on content moderation. This figure comprises a substantial portion of TikTok’s roughly 2,500 UK employees, many based in London. The company is consolidating its content moderation operations by relocating impacted tasks to other European offices such as those in Lisbon and Dublin, and partially outsourcing to third-party providers.
This reorganisation is a continuation of changes TikTok began last year to strengthen its global operating model. The objective is to concentrate expertise in fewer locations and leverage advanced technologies, including AI models, to improve content safety outcomes more efficiently.
AI’s Growing Role in Content Moderation
TikTok has progressively increased its use of AI in moderating content, with the platform reporting that over 85% of content violations are now detected and removed by automated systems before human intervention. The company emphasizes that AI not only speeds up moderation but also reduces the psychological toll on human moderators by minimizing their exposure to distressing material.
According to TikTok, their AI-driven approach allows them to maintain compliance with regulatory frameworks such as the UK Online Safety Act, which enforces stringent requirements to remove illegal and harmful content, including child sexual abuse material and extreme pornography.
Union and Safety Concerns Over Layoffs
The layoffs have provoked sharp reactions from labor unions and safety advocates. The Communications Workers Union (CWU), representing many TikTok content moderators, condemned the decision as “bare-faced union busting” since it comes just one week before staff were set to vote on union recognition. John Chadfield, CWU’s national tech officer, expressed concern that the hastiness to replace human moderators with AI poses serious risks to user safety.
Critics argue that AI moderation systems remain immature and incapable of handling the nuance and complexity of harmful online content as effectively as trained humans. They warn that relying heavily on automated moderation could jeopardize the safety of TikTok’s millions of British users, especially vulnerable groups who depend on vigilant oversight.
The union further highlights the psychological challenges faced by moderators, describing their work as “the most dangerous job on the internet” due to the exposure to deeply disturbing content. The reduction in human moderators raises fears about the deterioration of platform safety and accountability.
TikTok’s Official Statement and Future Plans
In response, TikTok stated it is committed to supporting affected employees, who will be given priority for alternative roles within the company if they meet relevant qualifications. The company insists that the changes are part of evolving their trust and safety team using “technological advancements” to maximize effectiveness.
TikTok also announced plans to open a new office in Barbican, London, in early 2026, signaling continued investment in the UK despite the layoffs. Earlier this year, TikTok revealed ambitions to create 500 new jobs in the UK, which remains the platform’s largest community in Europe with over 30 million monthly users.
Regulatory Environment and Industry Context
TikTok’s move comes amid growing regulatory pressure across Western countries concerning data privacy, misinformation, and harmful content online. The UK’s Online Safety Act, enforced by Ofcom since July 2025, imposes heavy fines for platforms failing to moderate content effectively.
Globally, other social media companies have also begun scaling back human moderation teams in favor of AI technologies. However, critics caution that many AI systems are yet to fully meet the challenges of nuanced content moderation, and the trade-off between automation and safety remains contentious.
