01/10/2024 – 22:48
Social network X, owned by tycoon Elon Musk, cut more than 1,000 employees from its teams responsible for curbing abusive content, according to data released by the Australian internet watchdog.
The Australian eSafety Commission indicated that the shutdowns and reactivation of thousands of banned accounts created “a perfect storm” for the spread of harmful content.
The regulatory body has focused in recent months on X, formerly Twitter, warning that Musk's arrival on the social network coincided with an increase in “toxicity and hate” on the platform.
Making use of Australia's groundbreaking Internet Security Act, the commission obtained detailed analysis from computer engineers, content moderators and other security personnel at X.
Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, a former Twitter employee, pointed out that this is the first time the data has been released. They revealed that 1,213 “trust and safety employees” have left X since Musk bought it in October 2022.
The number includes 80% of computer engineers dedicated to “trust and security issues”, Julie highlighted. “Dismissing 80% of these specialized engineers would be as if Volvo, known for its safety standards, eliminated all of its designers or engineers.”
“You have a perfect storm. It is drastically reducing its defenses and returning repeat offenders to the platform”, warned the commissioner.
Australia has led the global campaign to regulate social media, forcing technology companies to define how to tackle issues such as hateful content and child sexual abuse.
OX did not respond to contact made by AFP on the matter.
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