TikTok has been the focal point of criticism from government legislators and consumer watchdogs for the past two years, and the social video-sharing company just announced a layoff of 60 workers. Within the United States, TikTok has about 7,000 employees.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China and has more than 150,000 workers spread across the globe. TikTok has come under scrutiny for alleged violations of user privacy, and many states have banned government employees from downloading TikTok to their smartphones. According to a spokesperson quoted in NPR, in the company’s sales and advertising division, including workers in Los Angeles, New York, Austin and abroad. The company’s meteoric rise during the past five years made it a daunting new rival to other social network leaders such as Facebook, Instagram and X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
Other major tech companies, including Google and Amazon, slashed thousands of employees during the past year. Netflix cut hundreds of executives in 2023, including one third of its featured animation division.
