Trump Doesn’t Have Privacy or Security Concerns about TikTok

US President Donald Trump on Friday said American buyers are lined up to acquire TikTok’s US operations and hinted he could extend the deadline for parent company ByteDance to divest the app’s assets.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said he had no immediate privacy or security concerns over the popular video-sharing platform but had yet to raise the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Meanwhile, TikTok announced major restructuring of its trust and safety operations in the UK, putting several hundred jobs at risk as it shifts towards AI-assisted content moderation. The overhaul, part of global restructuring plans, will also affect moderation teams in South and Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.

“We are continuing a reorganisation that we started last year… concentrating our operations in fewer locations globally,” a TikTok spokesperson said, adding that AI now plays a central role in removing harmful content. The company said AI tools already account for over 85% of content taken down for policy violations, while also reducing moderators’ exposure to distressing material.

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However, unions warned the layoffs could compromise user safety. “TikTok workers have long been sounding the alarm over the real-world costs of cutting human moderation teams in favour of hastily developed, immature AI alternatives,” said John Chadfield, national officer at the Communication Workers Union.

The UK is TikTok’s largest community in Europe, with more than 30 million monthly users—around half the country’s population. In June, the company pledged to create 500 new jobs in Britain, even as it now scales back its moderation workforce.

TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has faced mounting scrutiny in the West amid concerns over data privacy and possible links to Chinese state surveillance.