TikTok Lays Off Staff in Its US-Based Ecommerce Unit

  Rassegna Stampa, Social
image_pdfimage_print

U.S.-based TikTok ecommerce global governance and experience team staffers were recently laid off. This is the latest restructuring to afflict the social media company, which underwent a round of layoffs affecting its trust and security team in February.

According to Business Insider, the global governance and experience team monitors product listings, seller compliance, and protecting intellectual property in TikTok Shop.

The number of staffers laid off is currently unknown, but this latest move comes as the unit’s performance comes under closer scrutiny. In February, TikTok’s ecommerce head, Bob Kang, highlighted the team’s shortcomings during an all-hands meeting. 

It’s been reported that some staffers within the department were hit with low scores during annual performance reviews and given performance improvement plans, while some were simply let go.

In addition to the layoffs, several senior members of TikTok’s executive team have left the company in recent months, including global business solutions head Blake Chandlee, head of partnership solutions and global business marketing for Europe Lucy Banks, global head of music business development Ole Obermann, global head of litigation Emily Stubbs, U.S. general manager of agency business Jack Bamberger, and head of ad sales for North America Sameer Singh.

TikTok is facing challenging times in the U.S. market. It still has not found a buyer for its U.S. operations, leading President Donald Trump to declare a 75-day extension.

In addition, its parent company, ByteDance, is a China-based company caught up in the tariff wars between the two countries, which could further complicate TikTok’s divesture.

https://www.adweek.com/commerce/tiktok-lays-off-staff-in-its-us-based-ecommerce-unit/