Hundreds of online safety workers at TikTok's UK operations have already left the company after signing termination agreements, whistleblowers have exclusively revealed to Sky News. This mass departure starkly contradicts the social media giant's recent assurances to Members of Parliament that the layoffs were merely "proposals."
A Foregone Conclusion, Not a Proposal
Sky News has seen correspondence showing TikTok instructed affected employees to sign "mutual termination agreements" by 31 October 2025. More than 400 UK-based trust and safety workers complied, with only five reportedly remaining in consultation. Upon signing, staff were required to hand in laptops and passes, had their system access revoked, and were placed on gardening leave until 30 December.
"They've signed a mutual termination agreement, a legally binding contract," said John Chadfield, national officer for the Communication Workers' Union. "They've handed laptops in, they've handed passes in, they've been told not to come to the office. That's no longer a proposal, that's a foregone conclusion. That's a plan that's been executed."
This reality directly conflicts with statements made by Ali Law, TikTok's director of public policy for northern Europe. In a letter to MPs on 7 November, over a week after the signing deadline, Law insisted, "It is important to stress the cuts remain proposals only."
Whistleblower Warnings Over AI Readiness
The three whistleblowers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed grave concerns that the drastic reduction in human moderators will endanger users. TikTok has stated it will increase its reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) for content moderation, but the former employees are deeply sceptical of the technology's capabilities.
"People are getting new ideas and new trends are coming. AI cannot get this," said Anna, a former moderator. "Even now, with the things that it's supposed to be ready to do, I don't think it's ready."
Another moderator, Lucy, highlighted the nuanced understanding required for safety work. "There are a lot of nuances in the language. AI cannot understand all the nuances," she said. "AI cannot differentiate some ironic comment versus a real threat or bullying."
These concerns have reached Parliament. Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, has criticised TikTok for failing to provide evidence that its industry-leading safety rates will not deteriorate. "TikTok refers to evidence showing that their proposed staffing cuts... will improve content moderation... but at no point do they present any credible data on this to us," she stated.
Offshoring and Union Condemnation
Alongside the push towards AI, TikTok is reportedly offshoring moderation roles. Sky News has independently seen job adverts for moderator positions in locations like Lisbon, and multiple workers confirmed their former roles were being advertised abroad through third-party agencies.
The Communication Workers' Union has condemned the company's actions. "AI is a fantastic fig leaf. It's a fig leaf for greed," asserted John Chadfield. "In TikTok's case, there's a fundamental wish to not be an employer of a significant amount of staff."
In response to the safety concerns raised, TikTok told Sky News: "As we have laid out in detail, this reorganisation of our global operating model for Trust and Safety will ensure we maximize effectiveness and speed... We will continue to use a combination of technology and human teams to keep our users safe." The company maintains it has followed UK employment law and been transparent about the proposed changes.
The TUC's general secretary, Paul Nowak, has called for clarity, stating: "TikTok seem to be obscuring the reality of job cuts to MPs. TikTok need to come clean and clarify how many vital content moderators' roles have gone."
