New York: Elon Musk’s X is hiring 100 employees for a new Trust and Safety office in Austin, Texas, focusing on content moderation, especially Child Sexual Exploitation Moderation (CSEM). The move comes after recent criticism over the handling of explicit content on the platform.
The focus of the new team will reportedly center on moderating content related to child sexual exploitation, as the platform faces increased scrutiny in this regard.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino is slated to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 31, shedding light on X’s handling of Child Sexual Exploitation Moderation (CSEM). The company aims to bolster its commitment to combating CSE online, emphasizing a “zero tolerance” policy for such content.
The newly formed team will not only concentrate on CSEM but will also contribute to other moderation efforts, including combating hate speech. Job listings for these roles specify that moderators will investigate issues such as spam, fraud, and provide customer support.
The decision to establish a Trust and Safety center of excellence in Austin follows a recent incident where sexually explicit fake photos of musician Taylor Swift circulated on the platform without prompt removal, sparking user concerns.
In an official blog post, X stated, “At X, we have zero tolerance for Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), and we are determined to make X inhospitable for actors who seek to exploit minors. In 2023, we made clear that our top priority was tackling CSE online.”
Looking ahead, X has committed to enhancing detection mechanisms to identify more reportable content on the platform, collaborating with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). In 2023, the company suspended 12.4 million accounts for CSE policy violations, a significant increase from the 2.3 million accounts suspended in 2022. The company vows to continue its strong investment in combating child sexual exploitation online and expanding efforts to educate users on this critical issue throughout 2024.
