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Facebook moderators speak out about poor working conditions

Facebook Inc. moderators have told of the psychological impact of being exposed to graphic content for long hours and receiving poor pay, despite the firm's pledge to improve working conditions for its contractors, The Guardian reported.

Several anonymous moderators, including current and former workers based in Berlin, said they moderated often disturbing content for eight hours a day, over weekends and during night shifts.

The contractors said they received "practically minimum pay" for their work. Some of their colleagues became "addicted" to the content, collecting extreme examples for personal use, they said.

Facebook has about 15,000 content reviewers in countries including Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Spain, Portugal, Philippines and the U.S. These include a mix of full-time employees, contractors and companies it partners with.

The Guardian report is the latest in a long line of articles and first-hand accounts to shed light on the working conditions for Facebook moderators charged with policing a site that is home to more than 2.4 billion users.

Facebook was sued by a former contractor in California in September of last year who said the job gave her post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In March, two more ex-moderators joined the lawsuit — which seeks class-action status — citing similar symptoms.

Earlier this year, The Verge spoke to the company's contractors in North America who said they had developed acute stress disorders as a result of their jobs. Workers based in Phoenix said they were offered on-site counseling, but this stopped the moment they left the role.

That report prompted the company to issue a response outlining its practices and how it was addressing the problems detailed by the moderators.

Facebook promised to implement a "rigorous and regular" process for auditing contractors and enforcing policies, to use standardized contracts to ensure consistent policies, hold summits to "reinforce" expectations and to bolster communication.

In its statement to The Guardian on Sept. 17, Facebook said it provides employees with "support" including training, psychological support and technology to limit their exposure to graphic content. The company said it is looking into the concerns.