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Facebook to Pay $52m to Moderators Over PTSD

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday May 13 2020, @09:54AM   
from the stressed-out-so-you-don't-have-to-be dept.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Bytram:

Facebook to pay $52m to moderators over PTSD:

Facebook has agreed to pay $52m (£42m) to content moderators as compensation for mental health issues developed on the job.

The agreement settles a class-action lawsuit brought by the moderators, as first reported by The Verge.

Facebook said it is using both humans and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect posts that violate policies.

The social media giant has increased its use of AI to remove harmful content during the coronavirus lockdown.

In 2018, a group of US moderators hired by third-party companies to review content sued Facebook for failing to create a safe work environment.

The moderators alleged that reviewing violent and graphic images - sometimes of rape and suicide - for the social network had led to them developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The agreement, filed in court in California on Friday, settles that lawsuit. A judge is expected to sign off on the deal later this year.

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Original Submission

• Re:dayum Re:dayum (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @04:11PM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @04:11PM (#993821)

  F'ing idiot has no idea what PTSD is, however... I highly question the validity of a PTSD diagnosis for moderating Facebook posts.

  Parent

• Re:dayum (Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @04:49PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 13 2020, @04:49PM (#993835)

  You are correct. You have proven you have no idea what PTSD is.

  It is my pleasure to educate you as to the diagnostic criteria [va.gov]:

  DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD
  Full copyrighted criteria are available from the American Psychiatric Association (1). All of the criteria are required for the diagnosis of PTSD. The following text summarizes the diagnostic criteria:

  Criterion A (one required): The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s):
  Direct exposure
  Witnessing the trauma
  Learning that a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma
  Indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics)

  Criterion B (one required): The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced, in the following way(s):
  Unwanted upsetting memories
  Nightmares
  Flashbacks
  Emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders
  Physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders

  Criterion C (one required): Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s):
  Trauma-related thoughts or feelings
  Trauma-related reminders

  Criterion D (two required): Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):
  Inability to recall key features of the trauma
  Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world
  Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the trauma
  Negative affect
  Decreased interest in activities
  Feeling isolated
  Difficulty experiencing positive affect

  Criterion E (two required): Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):
  Irritability or aggression
  Risky or destructive behavior
  Hypervigilance
  Heightened startle reaction
  Difficulty concentrating
  Difficulty sleeping

  Criterion F (required): Symptoms last for more than 1 month.

  Criterion G (required): Symptoms create distress or functional impairment (e.g., social, occupational).

  Criterion H (required): Symptoms are not due to medication, substance use, or other illness.

  A4, any of the B symptoms, C1, D2-7, any E, F, G, and H may well be possible in someone whose job it is to be exposed to such traumas. The real question would be what Facebook did to try and ameliorate or mitigate the problems at the time. What services did they provide, and if someone had too much did they try and meaningfully address the problem by finding other work for the reviewers? My guess would be not enough and no.

  Parent