Face the Music: Major Layoffs at Meta Platforms' Content Moderation in Spain's Barcelona
Large-scale layoffs announced for Facebook and Instagram moderators based in Spain - Reduction of Workforce in Spain: Significant Layoffs Announced for Moderation Teams at Facebook and Instagram
Hey there! Here's a low-down on the Dan-gone drama with Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook and Instagram, in the vibrant heart of Barcelona.
The Spanish union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) signed a preliminary deal with Barcelona Digital Services, a local company handling Moderation tasks for these social media giants. The deal's jist? Workers are to receive the highest legally-permissible severance, courtesy of this social plan. This plan went into motion following Meta terminating its contract with the Canadian parent company, Telus (and ain't that some kicker, eh?).
In the past, Telus was responsible for keeping Meta's content squeaky clean since 2018. When probed by news agency AFP, a Telus spokesperson mummed up about the number of affected jobs, but did reveal that the company will offer full support to their peeps. This included possible relocation options for as many impacted workers as possible.
After Donald Trump became the Prez of the United States, Meta announced the cancellation of its fact-checking program. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the California-based company, declared that content moderation policies would be significantly overhauled, and fact-checking by third parties would be tossed out the window. That's right! The end of an era, they said.
AFP, a partner with Meta for fact-checking across many regions, including Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, and Africa, now must find ways to handle the fallout.
- Spanish Union CCOO
- Meta Platforms
- Content Moderation
- Barcelona, Spain
- Job Cuts
- Telus International
- AFP News Agency
Bonus Intel:
- Job losses: Over 2,000 content moderation jobs have been axed in Barcelona following Meta's divorce with Telus International.
- Union agreement: The Spanish union, CCOO, has secured a preliminary deal to assure maximum legal compensation for laid-off workers.
- Contract termination reasons: Meta's decision to jettison Telus reflects a broader strategic shift, aiming to reduce biases and rely more on community-driven moderation.
- Impact on Telus: While Telus is assisting affected employees, their long-term plans remain vague.
- Globetrotting: Meta plans to redistribute the crackdown workload to other locations, ensuring continuous quality service.
- The Spanish union, CCOO, has secured a preliminary deal to assure maximum legal compensation for the over 2,000 workers who lost their jobs in Barcelona due to Meta Platforms' termination of its contract with Telus International.
- Meta Platforms, previously known as Facebook and Instagram, is undergoing a significant strategic shift by reducing biases and relying more on community-driven moderation, a decision that led to the termination of its contract with Telus International.
- In a move that signals the end of an era, Meta Platforms, under the leadership of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, declared that content moderation policies would be significantly overhauled, and fact-checking by third parties would no longer be utilized.
- AFP News Agency, a partner with Meta for fact-checking, now faces the challenge of handling the fallout from Meta's decision to cancel its fact-checking program across various regions.
