TikTok content moderators in Berlin staged a one-day strike on Wednesday, July 23, to protest the replacement of approximately 150 employees with artificial intelligence systems. The strike, organized by trade union ver.di, marks the first time employees at a social media company have taken such action in Germany.

As Euro News reports, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, plans to replace workers in the Trust and Safety department, responsible for content moderation, and the Live department, which handles creator outreach. According to ver.di, the company intends to use Chinese-sourced AI models trained by ByteDance to perform these functions.

“It is disrespectful of TikTok to shirk all social responsibility and even refuse to negotiate with us,” Lucas Krentel, ver.di’s deputy regional head of the media division, said in a statement.

The striking employees are seeking a collective bargaining agreement that includes severance payments worth three years’ salary and a 12-month extension period for each affected worker. Ver.di argues these demands are justified given TikTok’s high profits and the specialized training moderators possess.

TikTok responded in a statement that it is discussing a proposal with a works council to “consolidate their Trust and Safety team into fewer locations to streamline workflows and improve efficiency.” The company maintains it remains “fully committed to protecting the safety and integrity” of its platform, citing a €1.7 billion investment in Trust and Safety this year.

European Expansion Amid Staff Reductions

The Berlin strike occurs as TikTok implements significant changes across its global operations. In April 2024, the company laid off over 250 employees in Ireland, drawing criticism for its approach to determining redundancies. TikTok Shop, meanwhile, recently expanded its European presence with recent launches in France, Germany, and Italy.

Simultaneously, TikTok has updated its Terms of Service for European and UK users, effective from July 25. The new terms introduce stricter content moderation policies and enhanced user safety measures, specifically prohibiting misinformation that could “mislead or improperly influence elections” and content promoting discrimination.

If ByteDance does not engage in negotiations, ver.di warns that longer-term strike action could follow later this month.

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