Around 400 TikTok content moderators in the UK have filed an employment tribunal claim, accusing the company of union-busting. The workers allege they were laid off just a week before a scheduled vote to establish a collective bargaining unit. They claim TikTok violated UK trade union laws with unfair dismissals.

The moderators argued they needed better protection from the psychological toll of reviewing traumatic content. A union representative called it the internet's most dangerous job, exposing workers to child abuse material and violence. They wanted more input into workflows and resources to safely manage TikTok's 30 million monthly UK users.

TikTok denies the allegations, calling them baseless. The company insists the layoffs were part of a restructuring tied to AI adoption, claiming it now removes 91% of harmful content automatically. The firings were announced in August, coinciding with union organizing efforts in its London offices.