A source close to the Malaysian branch of ByteDance said it has laid off over 500 employees, including those in Malaysia, reflecting ongoing global layoffs within TikTok.

The layoffs mostly impacted content moderation staff across multiple regions, including Southeast Asia, which were essential for upholding TikTok’s community standards and safety guidelines, relying on a combination of automated systems and human oversight.

This decision follows Bloomberg’s June report on a layoff of 450 employees from ByteDance’s Indonesian division, which occurred after the acquisition of a local e-commerce firm.

Additionally, a CNN report in May outlined TikTok’s significant restructuring plans aimed at scaling back its global operations and marketing teams, affecting user support and communications.

TMR has contacted ByteDance Malaysia for comments on the layoffs.