Facebook sued by a former content moderator who says the job has given him post-traumatic stress disorder

Facebook sued by a former content moderator who says the job has given him post-traumatic stress disorder

Facebook is being sued by a Californian woman who previously worked for the company as a content moderator because she claims that the work has led her to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

As a contractor for Facebook through a company called Pro Unlimited, Selena Scola was tasked with identifying and removing content from the social platform that violated her community standards. This includes hate speech, graphic violence, injury, harassment, nudity, and sexual content.

According to Scola's attorneys, she developed PTSD as a result of "constant and unrestricted exposure to highly toxic and extremely disturbing images in the workplace." .

For its part, Facebook told Motherboard that it actually provides mental health services to moderators in its own facilities and those of its subcontractors. He also noted that he addressed these issues by addressing them during the training process and providing appropriate benefits and resources for mental well-being.

The dangers of content moderation for large-scale platforms like Facebook have been, so the only thing surprising about this incident is that it takes place as far back in the life of the 'business. last January.

It will be interesting to see how this happens, as this could have broader implications for companies that need content moderators, and for those occupying these roles around the world. Facebook currently employs around 7,500 people to identify and remove objectionable content. It is planned to increase this number to 20,000, and is currently recruiting workers in India, with annual salaries ranging from $ 3,100 to $ 5,500.

The Scola lawsuit requires the creation of a "Facebook-funded medical monitoring program to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of complainants and class for psychological trauma, including, but not limited to, PTSD. a judge in California.

We have created Facebook to learn more and will update this message if there is an answer.