Varadkar appealed directly to Facebook over content moderators

Tánaiste and Minister for Employment Leo Varadkar earlier this year appealed directly to Facebook to liaise with the Workplace Relations Commission and the Health and Safety Authority to resolve ongoing complaints from content moderators about their terms and conditions. Mr Varadkar is understood to have personally contacted the company’s head of public policy Dualta Ó Broin over concerns raised in a meeting he had with Dublin-based moderators employed by Facebook’s partner Covalen in late January. He is believed to have outlined to the tech giant how the moderators felt the terms and conditions attached to their outsourced posts were “significantly” inferior to those doing similar work but employed directly by Facebook. DifficultiesAmong the issues raised by Mr Varadkar were concerns from content moderators over access to qualified counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists to support them when they encounter personal difficulties due to the work they are engaged in. This includes reviewing posts on the social media platform, which can contain graphic violence, exploitation, extremism, abuse and suicide. The moderators also raised concerns regarding non-disclosure agreements they were required to sign without being given copies to keep. In addition, they repeated earlier concerns over not being able to work remotely during the…
Read More