05-19-2020
Under a proposed agreement, Facebook would pay $52 million to a class of content moderators who reviewed disturbing, graphic content for the company and suffered psychological trauma as a result. As alleged in a class action law suit, content moderators were required to view, as a filtration mechanism, posts containing “videos, images and livestreamed broadcasts of child sexual abuse, rape, torture, bestiality, beheadings, suicide and murder,” as part of their duties, and for several years have sought improved work conditions and medical treatment related to psychological trauma caused by their work conditions. Facebook has denied any wrongdoing.
In addition to monetary relief for class members, the settlement provides that Facebook will implement reforms to address the challenged practices, including:
- Tooling enhancements designed to provide content moderators with more control over how they view content to help mitigate the potential effects of viewing graphic or disturbing content;
- Training and support designed to help content moderators build resilience and learn to cope with the stress of viewing graphic or disturbing content; and
- Coaching and other support by licensed mental health counselors for content moderators who need it.
The lawsuit, Scola v. Facebook, Inc., is in the Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo (18CIV05135).