Facebook moderators who said they were exposed to disturbing images at work are suing the company for severe mental trauma, the Daily Mail reported on Sunday.
The 30 employees worked at Facebook’s Irish headquarters, as well as in Germany and Spain. Their task was to identify and take down violent and sexual content on the site, and they said they were not given sufficient training to cope with the harrowing material or access to psychiatrists.
Their lawyers said that several of the workers have tried to commit suicide, while others have post-traumatic stress disorder.
The case is the largest damages claim ever made against Facebook by employees in Europe.
Last year, the social media giant paid £37 million to former moderators in the U.S. who filed a similar claim in a California court.
A Facebook spokesman contended that, "We are committed to providing support for those that review content for Facebook as we recognize that reviewing certain types of content can sometimes be difficult."
The spokesman also insisted that “Everyone who reviews content for Facebook goes through an in-depth, multi-week training program on our Community Standards and has access to extensive psychological support to ensure their well being. This includes 24/7 on-site support with trained practitioners, an on-call service, and access to private healthcare from the first day of employment. We are also employing technical solutions to limit their exposure to graphic material as much as possible.”
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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