Berlin, August 11:  TikTok has reportedly taken a major step in integrating AI into its business. The ByteDance-owned short-form video hosting platform has decided to replace its trust and safety staff with artificial intelligence (AI). Several employees from the trust and safety teams protested against the company's decision to lay them off in Berlin. The latest round of TikTok layoffs will reportedly affect 150 German workers.

According to a reports, the workers had protested against TikTok layoffs on the streets of Berlin demanding better severance pay and extension of notice period. TikTok announced its decision to dismantle the entire Berlin moderation team responsible for removing harmful content from the short-video hosting platform, leading to layoffs of 150 individuals. TCS Layoffs: ‘Tata Consultancy Services Forced Me To Resign in 15 Minutes, HR Told Me To Switch Off My Phone’, Claims Fresher Affected by Job Cuts.

TikTok Layoffs in Germany, Integration of AI to Detect Harmful Content

TikTok employees have been represented by the trade union Ver.di, which has approached the Chinese short video hosting platform to negotiate a workforce reduction for a few weeks. Ver.di spokesperson Kalle Kunkel, who attends the Berlin-Brandenburg region, said that the trade union sent a list of demands to TikTok over the severance pay of the affected employees. Ver.di also requested an extension in the notice period.

TikTok Does Not Want to Talk, Has No Reaction to Our Demands: Ver.di Spokesperson Kalle Kunkel

Kalle Kunkel said that TikTok did not want to talk Ver.di trade union. Following this, the employees went on two strikes. However, Kunkel said that TikTok had not responded. The Chinese company is spread across Germany and has various offices; however, the TikTok Berlin office is the biggest of them all, boasting 400 staff. Therefore, the layoffs could result in a nearly 40% reduction in the workforce. ClearTax Layoffs: Indian Fintech Company Fires 25% of Staffs Including IIT Freshers After Hiring Them in June, Affected Share Experience.

TikTok's Response to Layoffs of Trust and Safety Teams

TikTok spokesperson Anna Sopel stated that the layoffs proposed by the company were intended to "streamline workflows and improve efficiency". She further added that TikTok would remain fully committed to protecting the safety and integrity of the platform.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 11, 2025 06:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).