KUALA LUMPUR: BYTEDANCE Ltd, the parent company of TikTok, may lay off several hundred employees worldwide as part of its efforts to enhance its global content moderation operations.

A TikTok spokesperson revealed that the company plans to invest US$2 billion in trust and safety initiatives in 2024, with a focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of content moderation.

"These changes are part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our global operating model for content moderation. We plan to invest US$2 billion globally in trust and safety initiatives in 2024, with 80% of violative content now being removed through automated technologies," the spokesperson told Business Times.

Although TikTok did not specify the exact number of employees affected, the company acknowledged that several hundred people globally would be impacted due to varying local employment regulations.

Recently, reports surfaced that BYTEDANCE had laid off hundreds of employees in Malaysia. According to the report, over 500 individuals were terminated after receiving emails from the company. Most of those affected worked in content moderation, covering not only Southeast Asia but other regions as well.