TikTok owner ByteDance fires hundreds of employees in China
ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant and owner of popular social media app TikTok, has reportedly fired hundreds of employees across various departments, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The move is said to have affected employees at Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, as well as the company’s gaming and real estate operations. One of the hardest-hit departments is reported to have been Feishu, also known as Lark, ByteDance’s enterprise collaboration tool.
The report has sparked widespread speculation as to the reasons behind the mass layoff, with some speculating that it could be related to the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. TikTok has faced intense scrutiny in the US in recent months, with the Trump administration threatening to ban the app over national security concerns. While the app has not been banned in the US, it has faced significant headwinds, including a forced divestment from its US operations.
Others have suggested that the layoff could be related to the company’s efforts to pivot towards more lucrative sectors, such as gaming and real estate. Indeed, ByteDance has made no secret of its ambitions to diversify its portfolio and expand beyond social media. In recent years, the company has made a number of high-profile acquisitions in the gaming industry, and has also made inroads into the real estate sector through its smart home brand, Duose.
Despite the speculation, it remains unclear what prompted the mass layoff, and ByteDance has yet to comment on the reports. The move is sure to raise eyebrows among industry watchers, as it comes on the heels of a number of other high-profile layoffs in the tech sector. In recent months, companies such as Uber, Airbnb, and Twitter have all announced layoffs as they grapple with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The impact of the layoff on TikTok and Douyin is also unclear. The social media app has seen explosive growth in recent years, thanks in part to its catchy music videos and creative content. TikTok has proven particularly popular with younger users, and has been downloaded over 2 billion times worldwide. Its success has not gone unnoticed, with competitors such as Facebook launching their own versions of the app in an attempt to capture a share of the market.
As for Douyin, the Chinese version of the app has proven equally successful, with over 400 million daily active users. Both TikTok and Douyin have been a major source of revenue for ByteDance, and the impact of the layoff on the company’s bottom line remains to be seen.
It is also worth noting that the layoff comes at a time when ByteDance is facing increased competition from other Chinese tech giants. In recent years, companies such as Tencent and Alibaba have made significant inroads into the social media space, and are increasingly seen as major rivals to ByteDance.
The mass layoff at ByteDance has sparked widespread speculation and raised questions about the company’s future. While the reasons behind the layoff remain unclear, it is sure to have far-reaching consequences for the tech giant and its popular social media app TikTok.
