TikTok is restructuring its trust and safety operations to centralise activity in fewer locations globally. The plan could affect hundreds of UK roles, with the company employing more than 2,500 people in Britain. Under the proposal, duties of affected staff would be moved to other offices in Europe or to third-party providers, while some trust and safety functions would remain in the UK.

TikTok’s UK head office is based in Farringdon, London, and a new office in Barbican is planned to open early next year.

The firm says the reorganisation began last year to strengthen its global operating model for trust and safety and to improve effectiveness and speed through centralisation. It notes that more than 85% of content removed for breaches is identified by automation, and that AI can reduce the amount of distressing material faced by moderation staff. A spokesman for the Communications Workers Union said the move could put millions of British users at risk and that workers have long warned about the costs of reducing human moderation in favour of AI.