A content moderator of TikTok has sued the social media giant and its parent company, ByteDance, for allegedly failing to take measures to protect her mental health. This concern was raised by her after she watched several hours of traumatic videos based on cannibalism, rape, animal mutilation, and suicides.
Candie Frazier, who worked for a third-party contracting firm, stated that TikTok moderators are overwhelmed with the number of videos they have to monitor. They work 12-hour shifts, Frazier explained, and only get one hour off for lunch and two 15-minute breaks.
The moderators already have long shifts, and they watch multiple videos simultaneously. They only get a chance to review 25 seconds of each video. ByteDance keeps a close eye on the moderators’ performance, the Verge reported, and “heavily punishes any time taken away from watching graphic videos.”
The lawsuit claims that the company is not providing its content moderators enough breaks and psychological support. Frazier also claims that TikTok has failed to implement technical safeguards like blurring or reducing the resolution of videos that have to be watched by the moderators.
Frazier stated that her work has caused her panic attacks and depression along with symptoms associated with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. She is also having difficulty in sleeping and has terrible nightmares when she manages to sleep over the content she’s watched.
Frazier wants TikTok to pay her and others like her to compensate for the psychological injuries they have suffered. Also, she wants the court to force the company to set up a medical fund for content moderators.
A TikTok spokesperson stated that the company works hard “to promote a caring working environment for our employees and contractors.”
“Our safety team partners with third-party firms on the critical work of helping to protect the TikTok platform and community, and we continue to expand on a range of wellness services so that moderators feel supported mentally and emotionally,” the spokesperson said.
