TikTok job cuts should be probed by MPs as alarm raised over online safety

TikTok job cuts should be probed by MPs, unions and online safety campaigners including Molly Russell's dad demand today.

In the summer the viral video platform put hundreds of jobs at risk in the UK as it invests in the use of artificial intelligence for moderating content. Now campaigners are warning up to 30million TikTok users - including children - could be at growing risk from harmful online content.

In a letter to Labour MP Chi Onwurah, who chairs the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, they urge her to investigate the cuts. Signatories include Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life at 14 after being bombarded with online hate, and Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak.

In a letter they say: "Every single redundancy is targeted at the ‘Trust and Safety Team’, effectively ending content moderation in London - with similar cuts to human moderation happening worldwide.

READ MORE: TikTok puts hundreds of UK jobs at risk 'as roles being replaced with AI'

"These safety-critical workers are the frontline of protecting users and communities from deep fakes, toxicity and abuse. "

One TikTok content moderator also told the TUC: “TikTok’s decision to drastically cut human moderation comes at the expense of our jobs and your safety.

“We take pride in working to make the internet a safe place for everyone and have serious concerns about TikTok’s cost-cutting and offshoring, which we know will have a huge impact on the platform’s safety"

The TUC chief Mr Nowak said: "Replacing more than 400 safety-critical UK jobs with AI and smaller numbers of low-paid workers abroad is reprehensible.

"These devastating cuts will put millions of Brits - many of them children - at risk of accessing harmful content online.

"Select committee MPs should now investigate the impacts for workers' rights, user safety and the integrity of online information."

A TikTok spokeswoman said: "We strongly reject these claims. We are continuing a reorganisation that we started last year to strengthen our global operating model for Trust and Safety, including concentrating our operations in fewer locations globally, ensuring we maximise effectiveness and speed as we evolve this critical function for the company with the benefit of technological advancements."

Around 85% of content found to have violated TikTok's rules is currently taken down by automation.

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