"Content moderators are organizing against Big Tech" 30 April 2025

Content moderators who comb through harmful material uploaded to online platforms have formed a global trade union alliance in a bid to improve working conditions. The Global Trade Union Alliance of Content Moderators (GTUACM) announced today in Nairobi, Kenya, says it aims to “hold Big Tech responsible” for failing to address workers’ issues like low wages, trauma, and lack of union representation across the industry.

Companies like Meta, Bytedance, and Alphabet often outsource content moderation on their platforms to contract workers. The job requires these workers to analyze and flag violent videos, hate speech, child-abuse imagery, and other harmful content. GTUACM says that many moderators in the industry experience “depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, and severe mental health consequences” due to being exposed to such content without adequate support. Workers are also often faced with unrealistic performance targets, employment uncertainties, and fear of being punished for speaking out about the issues.

...Michał Szmagaj, a former Meta content moderator who is now helping workers to unionize in Poland [said] “We need stable employment, fair treatment, and real access to mental health support during work hours.”...

...We have reached out to Meta, TikTok, and Google for comment regarding the GTUACM formation...