Content moderators sue Facebook (FB) for post-traumatic stress disorder



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Content moderators take action against Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) for post-traumatic stress disorder.

From the press release:

An innovative lawsuit claims that the content moderators responsible for viewing and removing many shocking and horrifying images and videos from Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) suffer from psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress and are not adequately protected by the social media giant according to a lawsuit brought by Burns Charest LLP.

The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 21 in California's San Mateo County Court, alleges that Facebook content moderators working on a daily basis are bombarded with thousands of "videos, images and broadcasts on children, rape, torture , bestiality, decapitation, suicide and murder. "

"It is well documented that repeated exposure to such images can have a profoundly negative effect on the viewer," says Korey Nelson, of the Burns Charest LLP law firm, who is seeking class action status for the pursuit. "Facebook ignores its duty to provide a safe workplace and instead creates a revolving door of entrepreneurs who are irreparably traumatized by what they've seen at work."

More than ten years ago, Facebook and other Internet service providers voluntarily set standards for training, consulting, and assistance to content moderators. But the lawsuit claims that Facebook does not follow workplace safety guidelines that the company helped create.

"Facebook has an obligation to provide its content moderators with a safe workplace," said William Most, of William Most's law firm. "Other technology companies are putting in place safeguards to mitigate the trauma of content moderators, and Facebook must meet the same standards."

The proposed class action alleges negligence and the failure to maintain a safe workplace. The action was filed on behalf of lead plaintiff Selena Scola of San Francisco, who worked for nine months in Facebook offices through Pro Unlimited Inc., a recruitment company based in Boca Raton, Fla. . dispute.

"Our client is asking Facebook to set up a medical monitoring fund to provide testing and care to content moderators with PTSD," said Steve Williams, of the Joseph Saveri law firm. "Facebook needs to mitigate the damage caused to content moderators today and take care of people who have already been traumatized."

According to the record, Ms. Scola began working as a Facebook content manager in June 2017 and had been formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia and social anxiety.

Facebook reportedly received over a million reports of potentially objectionable content each day.

The lawsuit is Scola v. Facebook Inc. and Pro Unlimited Inc., Case No. 18 CIV0513, filed in the California Superior Court.

Burns Charest is a litigation boutique with offices in Dallas, New Orleans and Denver, as well as a national law firm representing consumers and businesses. To learn more, visit http://www.burnscharest.com.

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