TikTok has announced massive cuts to its content moderators in the UK and several Asian countries, as it focuses on automating post review, PCMag reports.
The cuts will affect several hundred employees from its UK office, which currently employs around 2,500 people. TikTok said it is part of a global reorganization that involves concentrating operations in fewer locations to improve efficiency.
More than 85% of content that violates the platform's rules is already removed using artificial intelligence algorithms. The company said its goal is to reduce the workload on moderators and limit their interaction with graphic content.
The cuts coincide with the gradual entry into force of the UK's Online Safety Act, which provides for large fines for failure to take action against illegal and harmful content, as well as with preparations for a vote on the creation of a union in the London office.
Meanwhile, Meta has also changed its approach to content moderation on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The company is abandoning traditional fact-checking in favor of a Community Notes model that allows users to add context to potentially misleading posts. Meta argues this is due to expert bias and excessive content censorship. The platform is also removing restrictions on immigration, gender, and other widely discussed topics, leaving the focus only on illegal or seriously harmful content.
Meta plans to recruit volunteers with diverse perspectives for Community Notes, and the moderation and Trust and Safety team will move from California to Texas. The company is accepting applications from those interested in participating in the system, with a full launch planned for the coming months.
Both TikTok and Meta are trying to find a balance between effective moderation and reducing human intervention, but this raises doubts among experts and some users about the safety and objectivity of the platforms.