TikTok has begun a new wave of layoffs in Malaysia, reducing staff across its Trust and Safety division as part of a broader global restructuring. The move, confirmed in February 2025, affects several hundred employees and follows an earlier downsizing in late 2024 tied to the company’s transition toward greater automation in content moderation.
According to internal reports, the 2025 layoffs primarily target content reviewers, quality control specialists, and regional team managers. The restructuring aligns with TikTok’s strategy to increase efficiency through artificial intelligence (AI), which now handles nearly 80% of policy-violating content detection and removal.
Automation and Efficiency Goals
TikTok’s workforce reduction is part of a global operational streamlining effort aimed at eliminating overlap between regional teams and improving cost efficiency. Company executives have emphasized that AI-driven moderation improves response times and accuracy, allowing Trust and Safety operations to scale more effectively without human intervention in most cases.
The challenge of full automation
However, analysts note that full reliance on automation remains a complex issue. Human moderators are still needed to assess context, cultural nuance, and sensitive cases that algorithms may misinterpret. This hybrid approach, combining technology and human oversight, continues to shape the future of digital risk management at large platforms.
Malaysia’s New Social Media Regulations
The layoffs come just ahead of Malaysia’s updated social media regulations taking effect on January 1, 2025. Under the new framework, digital platforms with more than eight million users must acquire an annual operating license. The policy aims to strengthen online safety, curb misinformation, and prevent cyberbullying, reflecting the government’s growing focus on digital accountability.
Increased compliance pressure on platforms
Authorities have signaled that platforms including TikTok, Meta, and X will face closer oversight to ensure compliance with these new standards. In practice, that means faster removal of harmful content, stronger user protection measures, and improved transparency regarding moderation policies.
Impact on Workers and Local Operations
For Malaysian employees, the layoffs bring direct consequences for hundreds of skilled professionals in content moderation and operations management. Those affected are receiving severance packages based on tenure, in line with labor laws. Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) has rolled out support programs and employment resources to help displaced workers transition into new opportunities.
TikTok’s continuing investment in Malaysia
Despite the cuts, TikTok remains one of the region’s largest digital employers, with roughly 3,700 employees still based in Malaysia as of late 2024. The company is also moving forward with its planned US$2.1 billion regional Artificial Intelligence Hub, which aims to expand local research and development capabilities while supporting the long-term growth of the Southeast Asian digital ecosystem.
Outlook: Balancing AI and Human Judgment
Malaysia has become one of TikTok’s most actively monitored markets, with over 2,000 government requests for content removal recorded in 2023. The platform’s latest restructuring reflects both global pressure for efficiency and the local reality of stronger regulation. Going forward, how TikTok manages the balance between automation and human oversight will likely set a precedent for other social media platforms operating in tightly regulated environments.
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