Elon Musk’s X is in the process of recruiting 100 personnel for the establishment of a new Trust and Safety office in Austin, Texas. This office will primarily concentrate on content moderation, with a specific emphasis on addressing concerns related to Child Sexual Exploitation Moderation (CSEM). This strategic move follows recent scrutiny regarding the platform’s management of explicit content, reflecting a proactive effort to enhance content safety measures and address previous criticisms.
Elon Musk’s X is taking proactive measures to tackle the mounting apprehensions surrounding content moderation. The company is embarking on a significant recruitment drive, aiming to hire 100 full-time employees for a recently established Trust and Safety office in Austin, Texas. This strategic move follows Musk’s decision to disband global trust and safety teams subsequent to the company’s acquisition. The primary objective of the newly formed team will revolve around the moderation of content associated with child sexual exploitation, as the platform encounters heightened scrutiny in this particular domain.
Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 31st, shedding light on the company’s approach to addressing Child Sexual Exploitation Moderation (CSEM). X is resolute in its commitment to strengthening efforts against CSE online, emphasizing a “zero tolerance” policy for such content.
The recently formed team will not only concentrate on CSEM but will also actively participate in other moderation initiatives, including combatting hate speech. Job listings for these positions explicitly state that moderators will investigate matters such as spam, fraud, and provide customer support.
The decision to establish a Trust and Safety center of excellence in Austin is a response to a recent incident involving the circulation of sexually explicit fake photos of musician Taylor Swift on the platform without immediate removal, raising concerns among users.
In an official blog post, X asserted, “At X, we have a zero tolerance policy for Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), and we are committed to making X an inhospitable environment for individuals seeking to exploit minors. In 2023, we made it clear that our top priority was addressing CSE online.”
Moving forward, X has pledged to enhance detection mechanisms to identify more reportable content on the platform, while also 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. X vows to continue its substantial investment in combating child sexual exploitation online and expanding efforts to educate users on this critical issue throughout 2024.
After Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, substantial changes were implemented within the company, including a reduction in the workforce. Initial estimations suggested around half of Twitter’s employees were let go, but Musk later clarified that the number was closer to 30%. This decision was driven by Musk’s goal to enhance Twitter’s profitability and redefine the platform’s content policies.