Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, now known as X, has caused a profound upheaval in the digital realm. The eSafety Commission, Australia’s internet watchdog, recently made disclosures that point to a large reduction in the platform’s safety team. Concerns regarding the increase in harmful and hateful content on the platform have been raised by this action, which includes the dismissal of roughly 1,000 staff members, primarily from the team in charge of reducing abusive language.
Credits: Hindustan Times
The Safety Team Exodus:
The eSafety Commission notes a notable decrease in the “trust and safety staff” under Musk’s leadership. 1,213 specialists—both workers and contractors—have left since Musk’s acquisition in October 2022, according to a thorough analysis. Unbelievably, software developers with a primary focus on trust and safety issues accounted for 80% of these departures.
Impact on Online Safety:
Former Twitter employee Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is gravely concerned about the departure of these specialized engineers. She compares the situation to what would happen if a car company fired every designer and engineer in charge of creating safety regulations. She contends that this leads to a “perfect storm” in which the platform’s defenses are severely compromised, possibly facilitating the spread of hazardous content. The difficulty of keeping a secure online environment is further made worse by the reactivation of thousands of previously banned accounts.
The Rise in Toxicity and Hate:
The eSafety Commission points out a direct correlation between Musk’s takeover and a surge in toxicity and hate on the platform. The removal of content moderators and engineers dedicated to safety issues has seemingly created a void that is being filled with harmful content. The commission suggests that this situation is a direct consequence of Musk’s strategic decisions, including significant layoffs in the safety team.
Regulatory Measures:
Australia’s groundbreaking Online Safety Act has played a pivotal role in revealing these significant changes within X. The eSafety Commission, utilizing the act, obtained a detailed breakdown of the current staff composition at X, shedding light on the alarming reduction in trust and safety personnel. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasizes that this public disclosure of figures is a first, providing transparency into the staffing dynamics of a major online platform.
Legal Tussle and Regulatory Response:
It’s noteworthy that X, formerly Twitter, faced a fine of Aus$610,500 (US$388,000) from the eSafety Commission for its failure to demonstrate sufficient measures against child pornography. However, X not only missed the deadline to pay the fine but also took legal action to challenge it. This legal dispute adds another layer to the complexities surrounding Musk’s influence on the platform.
Possible Impact on X’s Reputation:
The decision to drastically reduce the safety staff and the increase in offensive content that followed might damage X’s reputation. As social media platforms increasingly face criticism for their role in propagating disinformation and promoting toxicity, the public and regulatory response to Musk’s decisions at X will be widely observed. The company’s reputation in the digital space will be greatly influenced by its capacity to handle these issues and put good solutions in place.
Conclusion:
The acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, now known as X, has completely changed the way the network secures users. The significant decrease in the safety team, especially the departure of trust- and safety-oriented software engineers, raises grave questions about the platform’s capacity to filter out harmful language and content. The conclusions of the eSafety Commission highlight the possible effects of these tactical choices on the internet. The platform is facing legal and regulatory issues; it is unclear how this will affect X’s reputation and user trust in the long run. Stakeholders, regulators, and the public will surely be keeping a careful eye on how this issue develops.
