Trade unions and online safety experts have called on MPs to investigate TikTok's plans to make 439 content moderator positions redundant in London, warning that the job losses could expose children to harmful content. In an open letter to Chi Onwurah MP, chair of the science, innovation and technology committee, the Trades Union Congress, Communication Workers Union and others said the cuts would undermine online safety.
The letter cites estimates from the UK's data watchdog that up to 1.4 million TikTok users are under 13, and notes that TikTok has more than 30 million UK users. It argues that the moderators are “the frontline of protecting users and communities from deepfakes, toxicity and abuse”. The signatories also claim TikTok plans to replace the workers with artificial intelligence-driven systems or offshore the roles to countries such as Kenya and the Philippines.
The letter accuses Chinese-owned TikTok of union-busting by announcing the redundancies eight days before a vote on union recognition with the CWU. “There is no proper business case for making these redundancies. TikTok’s revenues are booming – with a 40% increase for the UK and Europe alone,” the letter said. “Yet the company has decided to cut corners. We believe this decision is an act of union-busting – at the cost of workers’ rights, user safety and the integrity of online information.”
Among the signatories is Ian Russell, father of teenager Molly Russell who died after viewing harmful content online, along with Meta whistleblower Arturo Bejar and Professor Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics. The letter asks the committee to examine the implications for online safety and workers' rights, and what legislative steps can prevent offshoring or replacing human moderators with AI.
Responding to the letter, Onwurah said the plans indicated that TikTok's commitment to content moderation was under review, which “given the clear role that the recommendation algorithms used by TikTok and other platforms play in exposing users to large volumes of harmful and misleading content is a matter of significant concern”. She noted that TikTok had recently told her committee of its commitment to safety in terms of investment and personnel, and asked how the redundancies aligned with that commitment.
A TikTok spokesperson rejected the claims, stating the company was continuing a reorganisation started last year to strengthen its global operating model for trust and safety, including concentrating operations in fewer locations “to maximise effectiveness and speed” with the benefit of technological advancements. TikTok said it had engaged voluntarily with the CWU and offered to continue discussions after the redundancy consultation concludes.
