X Corp., the parent company of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has witnessed a significant reduction in its global trust and safety staff, according to Australia’s online safety watchdog.
The eSafety Commission, recognized as the world’s first government agency dedicated to online safety, disclosed that X Corp. had cut its staff by 30%, including an 80% decrease in safety engineers, since Elon Musk assumed control in 2022.
The commission, in a statement, released summaries of X’s responses to questions regarding the enforcement of its policies on hateful conduct. While X had previously provided estimates of staffing reductions, this marked the first instance of specific figures on staff reductions becoming public knowledge.
From the day before Musk’s takeover on October 28, 2022, until the reporting period closing on May 31, 2023, global trust and safety staff at X had dwindled from 4,062 to 2,849 employees and contractors, reflecting a 30% reduction globally and a 45% decrease in the Asia-Pacific region. Trust and safety engineers globally had fallen from 279 to 55, an 80% decline, and full-time employee content moderators had decreased by 52% from 107 to 51. Contracted content moderators also saw a 12% reduction from 2,613 to 2,305.
Additionally, X admitted to reinstating 6,100 previously banned accounts, including 194 suspended for hateful conduct. Although the commission believed these accounts were Australian, global figures were not provided. Notably, these reinstated accounts, despite previous rule violations, were not subjected to additional scrutiny.
The commission highlighted a slowdown in X’s responses to user reports of hateful content since Musk’s takeover. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant expressed concerns that a reduction in safety staff, coupled with the return of banned account holders, could make the social media platform more toxic and less safe for users.
Inman Grant emphasized the potential impact on X’s brand reputation and advertising revenue, stating that advertisers prefer platforms perceived as safe and positive. She warned that users might abandon a platform that feels unsafe or toxic.
X’s policy on hateful conduct prohibits direct attacks based on various factors, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and more. The commission noted that X missed several deadlines before providing the requested information, with the original deadline set for July 19. While X faced a fine for its delay, the commission ultimately decided against imposing it.
Notably, X had been fined 610,500 Australian dollars ($385,000) in September of the previous year for failing to fully explain its approach to tackling child sexual exploitation content. X has contested the fine and is currently challenging it in the Australian Federal Court.
