Chris TrottierJan 24, 2023

Looks like Meta is about to contract Majorel to do moderation for Facebook.

Majorel already does moderation for TikTok.

Apparently, working conditions at Majorel are appalling!

https://www.wired.com/story/metas-new-moderation-contractor-may-be-worse-than-its-last-one/

Meta Eyes a Moderation Partner With ‘Traumatizing’ Working Conditions

Employees of outsourcing company Majorel have accused it of underpaying moderators and failing to support them.

WIRED
Show threadChris TrottierJan 24, 2023

People often ask me, "What is the Fediverse's advantage over Big Social?"

I believe it is moderation.

It is easier for one person to moderate an instance of 100 people than it is for 50,000 people to moderate a social network of 2 billion people.

As well, since my instances are hobbyist projects, I am bound to be more selective about who is allowed to join my instance.

Unlike Meta, I don't tolerate jackasses!

Show threadChris TrottierJan 24, 2023

Yes, I moderate for free.

However, I also don't get paid to watch beheadings, mutilations, and suicides for a monthly salary of $281.

Show threadChris TrottierJan 24, 2023
If you have to ask, I'd rather moderate an instance of chill people -- and do it free of charge -- than watch the very worst of humanity for a measly pittance.
Show threadChris TrottierJan 24, 2023

All of this comes on the heels of Meta facing allegations of forced labor, human trafficking, and union busting in Kenya.

Meta's had previously hired "ethical A.I." company Sama for moderation.

Sama has been accused of running a "digital sweatshop".

https://time.com/6175026/facebook-sama-kenya-lawsuit/

Facebook Faces New Lawsuit Alleging Human Trafficking and Union-Busting in Kenya

Facebook’s parent company and Sama, its largest outsourcing partner in Africa, are facing new allegations of forced labor, human trafficking, and union busting in Kenya.

Time
Show threadChris TrottierJan 24, 2023

Working conditions at Facebook moderation farms are so horrible that so-called "contractors" actually describe it as modern slavery.

https://time.com/6147458/facebook-africa-content-moderation-employee-treatment/

Inside Facebook’s African Sweatshop

At an external Facebook content moderation facility in Kenya, employees are paid as little as $1.50 per hour for traumatizing work

Time
Show threadBob Mottram :debian:
@atomicpoet The problem of doing technical moderation is a kind of civilizational issue, which will have to be resolved in the long term. It's a kind of governance problem - how to exist in a digital medium.

So far the fediverse model is about the best that has been devised. There needs to be some notion of "a community" and some way of setting the rules within the community.
Jan 24, 2023 at 10:42amWeb