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Business Insider
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
TikTok enters its efficiency era
Belt-tightening is underway at TikTok. After spending big over the last two years to get its e-commerce business off the ground, TikTok is taking new steps to squeeze out a return. Since February, TikTok Shop has pushed out staffers based on performance, added stricter return-to-office rules, and had two rounds of layoffs, all while tacking on new measures to keep costs at bay, seven staffers told Business Insider. TikTok has also introduced cost-cutting measures to the broader company, including new budget caps for travel. On Wednesday, the company began its latest layoffs, targeting e-commerce operations staff and some employees who work with global brands. In emails this week to laid-off workers, the company said it was reducing complexity "to create a more efficient operating model for the team's long-term growth." TikTok's CEO Shou Chew hinted at a spending crackdown in the pursuit of efficiency in February. He told staff he wanted to review each of the company's teams and remove unnecessary layers, The Information reported. Chew's directive mirrors similar efforts by executives at Meta, Microsoft, and Google, which have recently stripped away employee perks, trimmed head count, and shifted performance standards in pursuit of cost savings. TikTok's cost cuts come at a tenuous moment for the company, which could face a US ban if it fails to reach an agreement with the Trump administration over a 2024 divestment law. The company has made broad changes to its US team in recent months, including consolidating control under Chinese leadership, employees previously told BI. And while TikTok videos are as popular as ever, the Shop business has failed to meet expectations. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment. The workplace changes and broader uncertainty have weighed on some. "For the past six months, it's been very up and down as far as morale and people's sense of security at work," a laid off staffer said. How TikTok is cutting costs In addition to cutting costs through layoffs, some teams have refocused performance goals this quarter around costs, profit, and revenue metrics like gross merchandise value, two staffers said. The company also plans to stop subsidizing free shipping for TikTok Shop sellers later this month after previous reductions. The move would bring TikTok's free shipping subsidies more in line with competitors like Amazon, but could irk some seller partners, one staffer said. There have been signs of broader cost cutting, too. Last week, TikTok told staffers across the company it was instituting a stricter approval process for work travel. The company is asking for more information about travel arrangements to better understand the impact on the budget, and setting spend limits for hotels and airfare. TikTok spent big on e-commerce in the US TikTok's e-commerce division was an easy target for cost cutting. The company spent hundreds of millions of dollars getting the business off the ground. The shopping platform is a big focus for owner ByteDance, which is trying to replicate the e-commerce success of its Chinese sister app, Douyin. ByteDance's leadership has been disappointed with the progress of its US business, which failed to hit many of its goals in 2024. US sales on the platform have taken a hit this year, due partly to global tariffs. Weekly US order volume on TikTok Shop dropped by around 20% in mid-May compared to mid-April after tariffs went into effect, for example, according to internal data viewed by BI. In an effort to turn things around, the company has shaken up its e-commerce leadership. The changes gave greater power to executives who have experience working on Douyin. After several layoff rounds, a string of performance-related cuts and team reorgs, and other unrelated worker attrition, the US TikTok Shop is looking trimmer. BI was unable to determine the extent of the recent cuts, but the impacted teams were consolidated, per a memo sent on Wednesday evening and viewed by BI. In the wake of organizational changes, the teams would "move faster, operate leaner, and be more efficient," e-commerce leader Mu Qing wrote.
Al Arabiya
20-02-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
TikTok laying of staff at trust, safety unit across global offices: Sources
TikTok is laying off global staff at its trust and safety unit which handles content moderation as part of a restructuring, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Two sources said that Adam Presser, operations head of the app who also oversees the unit, sent a memo out to staff on Thursday notifying them of the move. The layoffs began the same day for teams in Asia and Europe, Middle East and Africa, two of the sources said. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move comes as TikTok's fate remains up in the air. The popular short video app used by nearly half of all Americans went dark briefly last month, before a law took effect on January 19 that required its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban. In January last year, TikTok Shou Chew testified before Congress alongside Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and other tech and media heads in a hearing where lawmakers accused the companies of failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms. Replying to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, TikTok's CEO had said that the company would spend more than $2 billion on trust and safety efforts. In October last year, the company laid off hundreds of employees from its global workforce, including a large number of staff in Malaysia as it shifts focus towards a greater use of AI in content moderation. TikTok says it has 40,000 trust and safety professionals worldwide. Reuters was not able to immediately establish the extent of these cuts.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TikTok restructures trust and safety team, lays off staff in unit, sources say
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - TikTok is laying off global staff at its trust and safety unit which handles content moderation as part of a restructuring, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Two sources said that Adam Presser, operations head of the app who also oversees the unit, sent a memo out to staff on Thursday notifying them of the move. The layoffs began the same day for teams in Asia and Europe, Middle East and Africa, two of the sources said. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move comes as TikTok's fate remains up in the air. The popular short video app used by nearly half of all Americans went dark briefly last month, before a law took effect on January 19 that required its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban. In January last year, TikTok Shou Chew testified before Congress alongside Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and other tech and media heads in a hearing where lawmakers accused the companies of failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms. Replying to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, TikTok's CEO had said that the company would spend more than $2 billion on trust and safety efforts. In October last year, the company laid off hundreds of employees from its global workforce, including a large number of staff in Malaysia as it shifts focus towards a greater use of AI in content moderation. TikTok says it has 40,000 trust and safety professionals worldwide. Reuters was not able to immediately establish the extent of these cuts. Sign in to access your portfolio
Reuters
20-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
TikTok restructures trust and safety team, lays off staff in unit, sources say
SHANGHAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) - TikTok is laying off global staff at its trust and safety unit which handles content moderation as part of a restructuring, three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Two sources said that Adam Presser, operations head of the app who also oversees the unit, sent a memo out to staff on Thursday notifying them of the move. The layoffs began the same day for teams in Asia and Europe, Middle East and Africa, two of the sources said. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The move comes as TikTok's fate remains up in the air. The popular short video app used by nearly half of all Americans went dark briefly last month, before a law took effect on January 19 that required its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban. In January last year, TikTok Shou Chew testified before Congress alongside Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and other tech and media heads in a hearing where lawmakers accused the companies of failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms. Replying to questions from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, TikTok's CEO had said that the company would spend more than $2 billion on trust and safety efforts. In October last year, the company laid off hundreds of employees from its global workforce, including a large number of staff in Malaysia as it shifts focus towards a greater use of AI in content moderation. TikTok says it has 40,000 trust and safety professionals worldwide. Reuters was not able to immediately establish the extent of these cuts.
Associated Press
14-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
LEAP Takes Giant Stride with Inaugural LEAP East Confirmed for Hong Kong in July 2026
/ -- LEAP, the award-winning and transformational tech event that has elevated Saudi Arabia's global tech hub ambitions, is expanding further into Asia with the launch of LEAP East, an all-new show set to take place at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 8-10 July 2026. Organised by Tahaluf, the debut event will welcome attendees in the heart of global tech markets to one of the world's most dynamic and culturally diverse cities - Hong Kong. LEAP East will provide unparalleled insights into the future of technology, with more than 300 expert speakers and 300 exhibitors discussing and demonstrating multi-disciplinary advancements across various industries. Since its inception, LEAP has enjoyed strong support from some of Asia's most high-profile tech leaders, highlighting synergies between Hong Kong and Riyadh as disruptors, adopters, incubators, and drivers of technology. Previous speakers on LEAP's coveted main stage include Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee; Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok; and Dr Kai Fu Lee, Chairperson and CEO of Sinovation Ventures. This robust showing underscores the fast-growing business relationship between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, as both regions continue to solidify their roles as vibrant global tech hubs. LEAP 2025 featured a strong speaker representation from Hong Kong, including: Danny Tang, CEO, Hero Esports; Cindy Chow, Executive Director & CEO of Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund; and Leiming Chen, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President of Ant International, and Ant Group. Faisal AlKhamisi, Chairman of SAFCSP, said 'LEAP East will serve as a catalyst for growing the global tech ecosystem and for Saudi Arabia's status as a global events organiser. 'With this timely and strategic expansion, we are bringing LEAP's award-winning vision and world-class innovation into this exciting new Hong Kong venture, creating a powerful platform for entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses to connect, collaborate and build the future of technology,' said AlKhamisi. 'Attendees will engage directly with the world's leading innovators, investors, and industry pioneers, making LEAP East a must-attend event for anyone shaping the digital future.' With LEAP East primed to bring together experts from various fields to explore fintech, gaming, robotics, AI, smart cities, digital transformation, and Web3, among other emerging technologies, Michael Champion, CEO of Tahaluf, predicted the inaugural event will further propel Hong Kong's global tech capital credentials. Champion said, 'With an outstanding speaker line-up and an exhibition floor featuring the latest technological advancements, attendees will gain first-hand insights into the evolving tech landscape. We are building on the success we've had in Riyadh and the figures speak for themselves as LEAP 2025 had an attendance of over 200,000. LEAP East will foster a dynamic environment where investors, policymakers, and tech leaders converge to shape the future of innovation.' Among LEAP East's highlights will be the content-rich Orbital tracks, which will delve into critical areas such as fintech and the creative economy, providing in-depth analysis and takeaways on the latest industry trends. After three editions in Saudi Arabia, DeepFest will be a hub for artificial intelligence, robotics, and deep tech, highlighting breakthroughs and fostering discussions on how these technologies will redefine industries. Meanwhile, LEAP's dedicated Tech Arena, a first-of-its-kind immersive space, will present live demonstrations and interactive experiences, giving attendees a glimpse into the future of tech applications. 'With LEAP East, our focus is on driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of technology on a global scale,' said Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President, Tahaluf. 'The first of LEAP's strides outside its home base of Saudi Arabia, LEAP East will be an electrifying experience at the forefront of technological transformation.' Networking will be a key LEAP East component with exclusive gatherings such as LEAP East Nights, providing opportunities to establish meaningful connections in some of Hong Kong's most prestigious venues. Beyond business, the event will also present a series of inspirational experiences, including a VR Experience Zone, interactive art installations, drone racing, and a fully robotic kitchen, providing a glimpse into the intersection of technology and everyday life. Building on the success of LEAP's four editions in Riyadh, LEAP East's startup programme will give emerging companies opportunities to gain visibility, secure funding, and expand into new markets. Through pitch competitions, investor matchmaking, mentorship sessions, and networking opportunities, the event will be a launchpad for next-gen tech innovators. 'Hong Kong, with its robust infrastructure and access to global capital, is an ideal host for this initiative, offering startups the necessary resources to scale their businesses,' added Champion. A key attraction will be LEAP East's investment ecosystem with a specially designed Investor Programme that includes curated roundtables, workshops, and matchmaking opportunities, ensuring venture capitalists and angel investors can connect with startups that align with their portfolios. Featuring insights from more than 60 investors, the programme will empower the community with the knowledge and tools needed to drive forward-thinking investments. Pragati Malik Legal Disclaimer:
