In April 2025, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre wrote to four companies named as business processing outsourcing companies - companies that hire content moderators to remove content breaching social media platforms' guidelines - over allegations of extreme, poor working conditions in the European content moderation industry. These conditions are explored in the below article and include:

• extreme, adverse mental health impacts leading to burnout, psychotic episodes and suicide, in the worst instances;
• worker surveillance;
• intimidation for migrant workers; and,
• key performance indicators such that sufficient wellness breaks are impossible to take.

Features of the industry highlighted as contributing to poor working conditions are the prevalence of non-disclosure agreements, a migrant workforce whereby workers are “contractually blackmailed” as their visa status is work-dependent, and “business processing outsourcing” by which content moderators for social media platforms are subcontracted. Researchers held focus groups with content moderators, including working at Accenture and Telus in Germany. Alongside Telus, Appen and Teleperformance are the three "biggest players" in Europe.

We invited all four companies to respond to the allegations, outlining:

• how you uphold a healthy and safe working environment for content moderators in regard to mental health support available, excessive performance indicators and well-being breaks;
• whether and how your company surveils workers, physically and/ or digitally, in the workplace; and,
• whether you employ a migrant workforce, and what standards/ policies you have in place to respect migrant workers’ rights.

Responses from Accenture, Appen and Teleperformance can be read below. Telus did not respond.