Moderators Sued TikTok Due to Psychological Trauma

While TikTok continues to occupy a leading position in the ratings of the most downloaded apps worldwide, its internal system is far from satisfactory. On behalf of former employees, a class-action lawsuit was filed against ByteDance, which owns the video service. The content moderator Candie Frazier has sued TikTok management for not caring about the mental health of their employees.

The fact is that the company obliges moderators to watch videos uploaded by users at a very intense pace. They are reported to work 12 hours a day and only have two small breaks and an hour's lunch break. They have to study several (3-10) videos at once to cover as much volume as possible. In this case, the viewing time of each is limited to 25 seconds. At the same time, the selection of fresh videos may include rape, cannibalism, animal torturing, suicide, and much more.

While ByteDance strictly enforces the rules and violates employees for any distractions from the topic, it does not contribute to the preservation of their mental health in any way. After working as a moderator, Frazier reported that she developed panic attacks, disturbed sleep, and depression. Modern safety standards and care for workers include measures that prevent such anxiety symptoms. The company could downsize video resolutions, blur content, and use other technologies. Besides, such work usually implies more frequent breaks and even the help of a psychologist. ByteDance doesn't provide all this.

The trial is still ongoing. A company spokesman said they do everything they can to provide a healthy work environment. At the same time, they did not comment on the trial in any way. Do you think ByteDance is responsible for providing greater emotional and moral protection to employees? Will you continue to use the app knowing that the company is violating generally accepted industrial safety standards?