Reduction in staff and reinstatement of banned accounts raises safety concerns

  • X Corp. has slashed 30% of its trust-and-safety staff
  • 80% reduction in safety engineers since Elon Musk took over
  • Reduction in trust-and-safety staff globally from 4,062 to 2,849
  • Reinstated 6,100 previously banned accounts, including 194 for hateful conduct
  • X’s responses to user reports of hateful content have slowed since Musk took over

X Corp., the owner of the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, has recently made significant cuts to its trust-and-safety staff. Since Elon Musk took over the company, there has been an 80% reduction in safety engineers. The reduction in staff globally is 30%, with a significant portion in the Asia-Pacific region. X also revealed that it has reinstated 6,100 previously banned accounts, including some that were suspended for hateful conduct. This has raised concerns about the platform’s safety measures. Additionally, X’s responses to user reports of hateful content have slowed since Musk took over. These developments have led to concerns about the platform becoming more toxic and less safe for users. The eSafety Commission has warned that X’s failure to maintain user-safety standards could risk its brand reputation and advertising revenue. X has not yet responded to these concerns.

Public Companies: X Corp. (N/A), Twitter (N/A)
Private Companies:
Key People: Elon Musk (Billionaire), Julie Inman Grant (eSafety Commissioner)

Factuality Level: 3
Justification: The article provides specific figures and statements from the eSafety Commission, which gives it some credibility. However, it lacks additional sources or perspectives to verify the claims made. The article also includes some irrelevant information about the fine imposed on X for child sexual-exploitation content, which is not directly related to the reduction in trust-and-safety staff.

Noise Level: 3
Justification: The article provides specific figures and information about the reduction in staff at X Corp. since Elon Musk took over. It also mentions the reinstatement of previously banned accounts and the impact on user safety. However, the article lacks evidence or data to support its claims about the platform becoming more toxic and less safe. It also includes irrelevant information about X’s fine for child sexual-exploitation content, which is not directly related to the topic of staff reductions.

Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme events.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com