TikTok’s plan to cut hundreds of jobs was revealed on the same day that the EU announced an investigation into the company over potential DSA breaches.
TikTok’s global restructuring efforts are being felt in Ireland, as the company plans to cut a number of Irish jobs as a result.
The company has not confirmed how many Irish jobs will be lost, but sources told The Business Post that up to 300 roles could go from the restructuring plans. TikTok has roughly 3,000 staff in Ireland, thanks to a hiring spree of 1,000 jobs announced in 2022.
TikTok told Silicon Republic.com that roughly 70pc of impacted employees are anticipated to remain in the company. The social media company also confirmed that it is still hiring in Ireland and that its moderation teams will not be impacted by the restructuring.
“As we continue to deliver on our unwavering commitment to safeguard the TikTok community, we’re undertaking a redesign of our training and quality team that will enable us to further enhance our quality assurance processes,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “Our priority is supporting affected employees through this transition to minimise the impact of the changes.
“Ireland remains a hugely important base for us, and we’re continuing to hire for roles across our business here.”
The announcement of job cuts came on the same day that the EU announced a formal investigation into TikTok, over concerns about potential breaches to the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The European Commission said the investigation is in response to a risk assessment report TikTok sent last year – as part of its obligations as a ‘very large online platform’ under the DSA. Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for the internal market, said the investigation is being undertaken to ensure “proportionate action is taken to protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of young Europeans”.
More tech layoffs
TikTok is the latest tech company to announce job cuts in Ireland, with the start of 2024 mirroring the tech losses witnessed at the beginning of 2023.
Last week, Cisco announced plans to cut 5pc of its global workforce – more than 4,000 jobs – raising concerns for the staff in its Dublin and Galway offices.
Last month, Tencent-owned Riot Games shared plans to cut 11pc of its workforce – 530 jobs globally – as part of adjustments to its business. Riot Games employs hundreds of staff in Dublin. Digital printing company Xerox also announced it is cutting thousands of staff this quarter, as part of a “reinvention” strategy that could lead to Irish job losses.
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Updated 20 February 2024, 10:51am: This article was updated to include a comment from a TikTok spokesperson.
