YouTube settles moderators' case over graphic videos for $4.3 mln – Reuters

REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryLaw firmsRelated documentsYouTube accused of failing to shield workers from disturbing contentModerators viewed beheadings, animal mutilationFacebook agreed to pay up to $85 mln in similar caseJuly 13 (Reuters) – YouTube Inc will pay $4.3 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it failed to shield content moderators who routinely view violent and disturbing videos from psychological harm, according to a court filing.Lawyers for the plaintiff in the 2020 proposed class action, identified as “Jane Doe,” on Tuesday filed a proposed settlement agreement in federal court in Oakland, California, which must be approved by a federal judge. YouTube has denied wrongdoing.The proposed nationwide class includes content moderators who were employed by YouTube or its subcontractors dating back to 2016.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comYouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc’s Google, and its lawyers at Munger Tolles & Olson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did lawyers for Doe.In addition to the payout, the settlement requires YouTube to provide moderators with on-site and virtual counseling services and establish peer support groups for them. It also prohibits the company from enforcing non-disclosure agreements against moderators who discuss their job with counselors.Doe…
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