Mental stress: Lousy everyday work for social media moderators
Hundreds of social media moderators in Germany are calling on the federal government to improve the working conditions of their profession by law. The reason: tough specifications and mental stress. The backgrounds.
The social media moderators in Germany have apparently reached their breaking point: Hundreds of employees are calling on the legislator to improve the working conditions of their profession. Above all, they complain about tough requirements from their employers and the psychological problems resulting from their job.
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Mental stress: Social media moderators demand better working conditions
Social media moderators are responsible for removing harmful content from platforms like Facebook and TikTok, including child pornography and depictions of extreme violence. To put this in perspective: The number of content against which measures must be taken due to suspected spam amounted to almost 2022 on Facebook alone 1.5 billion.
In order to master them, social media companies outsource many of the moderation teams to external service providers. “It’s a very serious job that has serious consequences for workers,” says Cengiz Haksöz. He worked as a moderator at the outsourcing company Telus International. On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, he will address the Digital Committee of the Bundestag.
Like the news agency Reuters reports, he wants to hand over a petition there that has been signed by more than 300 moderators. They are calling for new legal protections for those working in the industry. This also includes improved access to mental health services and a ban on non-disclosure agreements. The social media moderators are also demanding better pay and more company benefits.
The work has changed him, reports Haksöz. He was of the opinion that his employer had adequate psychological support. However, that is not the case. He also reports that he feels mentally and emotionally drained. “These outsourcers help the tech giants shirk their responsibilities.”
Meta declines comment
Facebook parent Meta has come under increasing pressure in the past because of the working conditions of its social media moderators. In 2020, the company paid a $52 million settlement to US content moderators suffering from long-term mental health issues.
The non-profit organization Foxglove supports the campaign in Germany. According to director Martha Dark, the petition is a big step forward in improving the working conditions of content moderators. They are the Internet’s first defenders against harmful content. “This support is urgently needed,” said Dark.
Both Meta and Telus International leaned against each other Reuters an opinion on the subject.
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