TikTok creating more than 500 new British jobs as UK users top 30 million
The Chinese-owned social media firm said its UK workforce would expand to 3,000 this year as part of its 'deep commitment' to the UK.
It will also open a new 135,000sq ft office in London's Barbican, which is set to open early next year.
The group already has its UK headquarters in Farringdon, London, which were opened in 2022.
TikTok unveiled the plans as it said it now has more than 30 million regular users in the UK each month, which makes the market is biggest user community in Europe.
Adam Presser, director of TikTok UK and global head of operations and trust and safety, said: 'Whether through direct investment in jobs and innovation, or the wider economic contribution from millions of British businesses on TikTok, we're pleased to be increasing our investment and presence here in the UK, an important hub for TikTok.'
But it comes after Cabinet minister Pete Kyle signalled he was looking at measures to restrict the amount of time children spend on their phones, including through a possible 10pm curfew.
Mr Kyle was asked on Sunday morning whether he would look at limiting the time children spend on social media to two hours per app after the Sunday People and Mirror reported the measure was being considered by ministers.
The Online Safety Act has passed into law, and from this year will require tech platforms to follow new Ofcom-issued codes of practice to keep users safe online, particularly children.
Hefty fines and site blockages are among the penalties for those caught breaking the rules, but many critics have argued the approach gives tech firms too much scope to regulate themselves.
TikTok's Mr Presser said that, as well as its UK expansion plans, the group also invests 'significantly' in safety.
He said: 'What underpins our continued growth is our deep commitment to safety and to creating an enjoyable and secure digital space to sustainably support creators, entrepreneurs and the wider economy, which is why we also invest significantly in safety.'
TikTok first launched its UK operations in 2018 and is financially incorporated in Britain.
The group was fined 530 million euro (£446 million) by the Irish data protection watchdog last month for breaching EU privacy rules around transferring user data to China.
The video-sharing app was also sanctioned for not being transparent with users about where personal data was being sent and ordered the platform to comply with data protection rules within six months.
TikTok said it would appeal against the decision.
The social media giant, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, has been under scrutiny from regulators around the world over how it handles personal data, and is also facing a ban in the United States over its China links, which the US government has said is a national security issue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Tensions in Middle East ramp up as B-2 stealth bombers leave US for possible strike on Iranian targets
British and US warjets have previously helped shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel BOMBER THREAT Tensions in Middle East ramp up as B-2 stealth bombers leave US for possible strike on Iranian targets TENSIONS in the Middle East ramped up further yesterday as B-2 stealth bombers left the US for a possible strike on Iran. US president Donald Trump is believed to have signed off on a hit on the rogue state's underground atomic plant at Fordow. Advertisement 4 Middle East tensions rise as B-2 stealth bombers left the US for a possible strike on Iran Credit: Alamy 4 Missiles fired from Iran in retaliation for Israeli attacks Credit: Getty It came after a British national suspected of spying for Iran was arrested near an RAF base on Cyprus. Trump, who said on Thursday he would decide whether to join the offensive 'within two weeks', yesterday gave Israel free rein to continue attacking its enemy Iran. Meanwhile, B-2 bombers took off from the US and were thought to be heading to the Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific island of Guam. The powerful B-2 Spirit is the only aircraft capable of delivering the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs needed to smash Iran's atomic site at Fordow, south of Tehran. Advertisement READ MORE ON IRAN IRON WILL Israel will keep bombing Iran even without Trump, says Netanyahu's ex-advisor Waves of attacks would be needed to destroy the plant, which is encased in steel under a mountain. Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is also said to be sheltering in a bunker as Israel targets military leaders and nuclear facilities in his country. US officials last night said no orders had yet been given to move the B-2s beyond Guam. But it ramped up more pressure on Khamenei to cut a deal — with Trump demanding Iran scrap its nuclear and ballistic missile plans. Advertisement Meanwhile, a suspected spy linked to Iran was arrested amid fears he was spearheading a massive attack on UK forces in Cyprus. Sources said he was posing as a British tourist when he was detained near the RAF's Akrotiri base with a large camera with telephoto lenses. US deploys bunker-buster bomb carrying B-2 planes to new military base as Iran tensions grow He was also found to have three mobile phones when armed officers swooped on Friday. Police sources confirmed yesterday he was being held on suspicion of terror-related offences and espionage. Advertisement He is suspected to have links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Police swooped on him in the Zakaki suburb of Limassol. He has been in the country since April and is feared to have been mapping troops and jets. The Foreign Office confirmed he was a British national who is understood to be of Azerbaijani descent. Advertisement 4 The apparent remains of a ballistic missile lying on the ground in northern Israel Credit: Reuters Akrotiri — where hundreds of British pilots, troops and back-up staff are based — is just 200 miles from Israel and well within range of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. Britain and the US have been warned by Khamenei that their bases will be hit if their forces join Israel. The suspect appeared before the Limassol District Court on Friday and was remanded in custody for eight days pending inquiries. Advertisement Cypriot sources said he was understood to have had the sprawling UK airbase 'under surveillance' and also watched Cyprus's own Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos. Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar yesterday also claimed Iran tried to carry out an attack on Israeli citizens in Cyprus. Extra £3k in Persian MI5 jobs By Dominik Lemanski SPYMASTERS are offering £3,000 bonuses to recruit Persian speakers to tackle Iranian terror. Persian Language Specialists at MI5 and MI6 will support investigations to block Tehran-backed assassins and kidnappers. Recruits will be paid up to £44,818 with £3,000 a year extra on qualification. An advert, which is also hiring for GCHQ, reads: 'We're looking for Persian linguists for a role that goes well beyond translation and transcription. 'You will be a significant asset in helping to safeguard the UK.' In April last year, Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati, 37, was stabbed in South West London, in an attack believed to have been ordered by Tehran. It was not known if it was linked to the Brit's arrest. Cyprus has become a transit point for stranded travellers since Israeli airspace was shut at the start of Operation Rising Lion nine days ago. Advertisement Britain has upped the number of RAF Typhoons at Akrotiri and sent extra Voyager air-to-air refuellers. British and US warjets have previously helped shoot down Iranian missiles fired at Israel. But Sir Keir Starmer's government has so far kept the RAF out of the war amid fears of further escalation. Meanwhile, Israel continued to hammer Iran with air attacks on military and atomic sites — as well as top brass and nuclear scientists. Advertisement Israel Defence Forces' biggest scalp yesterday was terror kingpin Saeed Izadi — the financial mastermind of the October 7 attacks which detonated the Middle East crisis. Izadi, head of the Palestinian Division of Iran's Quds Force, was killed in a strike on a 'safe house' in the Iranian city of Qom. The Israeli military's Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir said: 'Izadi was one of the key figures involved in planning and executing the October 7 massacre. The blood of thousands of Israelis is on his hands.' 4 Israel's biggest scalp yesterday was terror kingpin Saeed Izadi Credit: @IDF Advertisement The Israeli military later said it killed another commander of the Guards' overseas arm, Benham Shariyari, in western Tehran. He was said to be 'responsible for weapons transfers from the Iranian regime to its proxies across the Middle East'. An 11th nuclear scientist was also assassinated at a safe house located by Israeli intelligence. Iran's foreign minister said he will not negotiate while attacks continued. Advertisement But Trump hit back: 'It's very hard to make that request right now. Israel is doing well, in terms of war, and…Iran is doing less well.' But he added: 'We're ready, willing and able and we've been speaking to Iran.' Iran fired more missiles at Israel overnight which were intercepted amid reports of minimal damage.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Jurgen Klopp's three-word response to huge Florian Wirtz transfer speaks volumes
Liverpool confirmed the signing of top transfer target Florian Wirtz on Friday, having agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign him for a British-record £116million fee Jurgen Klopp has offered his seal of approval to Liverpool's new £116million signing, Florian Wirtz. The German playmaker, 22, has joined the Reds on a five-year contract after completing a British-record move from Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz was Liverpool's top target going into the summer transfer window and they've managed to beat Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to his signature. The deal is comprised of £100m paid to Leverkusen upfront with a further £16m in potential add-ons. It's by far the biggest signing made since Klopp departed Anfield, with his successor, Arne Slot, having led the Reds to the Premier League title in his first season. Slot's reward is to work with a top talent like Wirtz and Klopp has no doubts that he'll be 'really, really great' on Merseyside. During an interview with to German broadcaster RTL, the former Liverpool boss was asked to give his verdict of the transfer. "It will be really, really great," Klopp replied. "I'm sure of it." The legendary manager went on to say: "It's very difficult to strengthen them when you're champions. But Liverpool have managed that. They've signed an exceptional talent in Florian Wirtz." Wirtz had the pick of some of Europe's best clubs but he and his family felt that Liverpool was the perfect next step. "I just thought that it was the right point in my career to make the next step and of course I wanted to get to a club that is from the top three in the world, and in my opinion Liverpool was one of them," the 31-time Germany international explained. "Yeah, I just saw myself in the best hands in Liverpool. I was really convinced by the people here, by the idea, and everything what the club offers me was really good. And in the end [it was] also easy to be excited for me to come to Liverpool. Will Florian Wirtz live up to his £116m price tag at Liverpool? Give us your prediction in the comments section. "It was not that easy for me, for sure, because I am a German player, I play for the Germany national team. So, it was not easy for me to decide but I think the talks with the coach and Richard [Hughes, Liverpool's sporting director] and everybody were, from the start or from the very first time, so good and it just kept going like this. "Every time I spoke to one of the [people from] the club I felt like, 'this is the place I want to be' and so in the end I was really 100 percent convinced I want to join Liverpool and it was the best choice." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I know biggest mistake ailing Poundland made, says firm's ex-boss Steve Smith as he reveals he offered to rescue chain
GETTING POUNDED I know biggest mistake ailing Poundland made, says firm's ex-boss Steve Smith as he reveals he offered to rescue chain Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Poundland boss Steve Smith has revealed he offered to rescue the struggling high street chain four weeks ago. But the multi-millionaire, who launched the bargain-hunter's paradise in 1990, was too late to save 68 shops which will now close following a major restructuring deal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Ex-Poundland boss Steve Smith has revealed he offered to rescue the struggling high street chain Credit: Nigel Iskander In an exclusive interview, Steve told The Sun on Sunday: 'I felt really sad when I heard the news. Poundland was my baby, really, so it's emotional for me.' Steve came up with a rescue plan, but last week, Polish owner Pepco Group sold Poundland to US investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1 after a slump in trading. 'I wanted to help' And he believes the downturn was a result of no longer having every item priced at a pound. Over recent years, stores have introduced more expensive items such as cleaning products, frozen foods and multibuy deals. READ MORE ON BUSINESS BYE BYE Family-run retailer closing with 'everything must go' due to Labour tax hikes The Government has pushed up National Insurance payments, which cost businesses millions every year Steve Smith He said: 'As I see it, there were a number of problems — crucially the decision to move away from the £1 an item formula. 'Another big issue is the state of the British high street. 'The Government has pushed up National Insurance payments, which cost businesses millions every year. 'Rates are going up, too, but the local councils don't even take away retailers' rubbish any more. Theft is another massive problem. In some places it has doubled in the last 18 months because we don't have enough police. As well as that, retailers have to deal with inadequate parking for customers. 'I would have introduced a loyalty points scheme for customers that offers them incentives like free parking. 'It feels to me like councils want to shut down the British high street.' Walkthrough Poundland's first £1million store When former market trader Steve, 63, turned 18 and wanted to launch a business of his own, his father Keith gave him the idea of starting up a shop where every item cost £1. Together, the pair co- founded Poundland, opening their first shop in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, in December 1990. It made an astonishing £13,000 on day one. Steve went on to build an empire of hundreds of stores around the country and employed more than 8,000 people. But the pressure of running a multi-million pound business took its toll. In 2006, he took the tough decision to sell his final shares in the business for £250million. I offered to buy back the company from the Pepco Group to turn it round, but they turned me down Steve Smith He said: 'I used to get up in the morning, my daughter was asleep, I used to get back home and she was asleep. Before I knew it, she was 16.' But he admitted: 'It was as though somebody had died when we sold. I felt I had taken it as far as I could without further major investment, but when I heard the business was in trouble, of course I wanted to help. 'I offered to buy back the company from the Pepco Group to turn it round, but they turned me down. 'I was too late. I had the backing of some very wealthy entrepreneurs who wanted to invest — like me, they still believe in the concept and more importantly the people that work there. 'Now, the business I built into a multi-million pound company has been sold for £1, and it breaks my heart. 'So proud' 'I could see where it was going wrong and my parents would be spinning in their graves to see what has happened to our beloved business. 'They died within months of each other in 2022 and were so proud of the company, they even had a Poundland museum in their home.' While around 650 stores will be saved by the new deal for now, a further 82 loss-making shops could be set to close their doors soon. Poundland also plans to scale back its chilled range and close its frozen and digital distribution site at Darton, South Yorkshire, this year. Another warehouse in Bilston, West Midlands, is to close in early 2026. Around 1,000 shop staff and 350 warehouse workers in the UK will be affected by the Poundland restructure, but none in Ireland.
