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A dozen current and former employees who moderated disturbing and traumatic content for Facebook at a third-party contractor in Arizona told The Verge that their experiences caused PTSD-like symptoms amid difficult working conditions.
Why it matters per Axios' David McCabe: Facebook has spent over a year promising regulators, media and the public that it will address the flood of malicious content on its platform. Workers in Phoenix and at other content moderation sites are a key part of that effort — and both Facebook and its contractor, Cognizant, told The Verge that adequate support for employees was provided at the site — but their struggles are far less visible than the lives of executives and engineers at Facebook's Silicon Valley HQ.
Facebook VP of Global Operations Justin Osofsky posted a memo Monday he shared with employees over the weekend that explained the process of content reviewing at Facebook.
"A lot of the recent questions are focused on ensuring the people working in these roles are treated fairly and with respect. We want to continue to hear from our content reviewers, our partners and even the media – who hold us accountable and give us the opportunity to improve."
Go deeper, via Wired: The laborers who keep beheadings out of your Facebook feed