Content moderators for tech giants like Facebook and YouTube reveal what it’s like to sift through the most disturbing material on the internet
Moderators are frequently tasked with watching disturbing video and images of child sexual abuse, violence, animal cruelty, and more
By Bryan Logan
A legion of temporary employees who are tasked with moderating content on platforms like Facebook and YouTube say they were unprepared for the emotional and psychological toll the job would take.
The content moderators are hired to sift through online posts, including pictures and video that were flagged as inappropriate. Several of those employees shared their experiences in a Wall Street Journal report.
Moderators said they watched images of war victims who had been “gutted,” and “child soldiers engaged in killings.” A former moderator who worked at Facebook recalled watching video of a cat thrown into a microwave, The Journal reported.
Shaka Tafari, who moderated content on the Whisper messaging app, said he was “alarmed” by the number of messages that contained references to rape, or included images of bestiality and animal abuse.
“I was watching the content of deranged psychos in the woods somewhere who don’t have a conscience for the texture or feel of human connection,” Tafari told The Journal.