Facebook Content Moderation May Be the Worst Job in Technology

• A recent report by CNET details the troubling lifestyles of content moderation professionals on Facebook.
• Some moderators are paid as little as $28,000 a year with no healthcare or retirement benefits.
• Even though moderators have requested better wages and benefits, the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Social media platforms can be difficult to moderate especially on platforms like Facebook that boast billions of users. It is important for these social media websites to moderate activity and crack down on toxicity, gore, nudity and other objectionable content that is posted on these platforms. Facebook’s content moderators are responsible for protecting 2.3 billion users from the dark side of social media, but their jobs are not as easy as you might think.

Even though there are AI tools available on Facebook to crack down on objectionable content, human moderation is needed to ensure there is no unfair censorship. Employees who are responsible for going through flagged content have to sort through disturbing images and videos. Constant exposure to such content can lead to mental health issues, and it is raising a lot of concerns. A content moderator recently filed a lawsuit claiming that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Content moderation is regarded as the worst job in technology by many, and it is applicable for not only Facebook but all social platforms. The jobs are often outsourced by Facebook to third-party contractors where employees make less than $30,000 a year. Moderators do not get any healthcare or retirement benefits even though they go through far more mental stress and the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Some of the companies that are contracted with Facebook to offer moderation services include Cognizant, PRO Unlimited, Accenture, Arvato and Genpact. These companies ensure that moderators are available round the clock and are capable of handling content in different languages. Some of the contractors claim that they offer “wellness” time and counseling facilities, but there is no telling what long-term effects of staring at acts of violence and hate can do.

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