This week we explore the world of trust and safety, those teams at digital platforms and other tech service providers entrusted with ensuring services are safe for users.

These teams have grown in size and influence over the past decade, in response to the growth in the use of social media as well as the emergence of challenges including mis- and disinformation and increasing hate speech.

But they’ve also come under fire - from ideological opponents who see them as biased censors, as well being the target of layoffs.

We unpack these issues and also explore the evolution and challenges associated with the profession.

Links:

Christine Lehane on what trust and safety involves (Medium) https://medium.com/@christinemlehane/a-career-in-trust-safety-you-know-more-than-you-know-3a02f63059a4

Trust and safety – the most important tech job you’ve never heard of (New Scientist) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403999-trust-and-safety-the-most-important-tech-job-youve-never-heard-of/

Trust and safety on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_and_safety

Article on the impact of tech layoffs and understaffing outside the US https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/tech-layoffs-hit-trust-safety-teams-raising-fears-backsliding-efforts-rcna69111

What are the twitter files and why do they matter? (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2022/12/14/1142666067/elon-musk-is-using-the-twitter-files-to-discredit-foes-and-push-conspiracy-theor

The Techno-Optimist Manifesto (Andreessen Horowitz) https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/

Welcome to hell Elon (The Verge) https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/28/23428132/elon-musk-twitter-acquisition-problems-speech-moderation

Interview with Twitter's former Head of Trust and Safety Del Harvey (Wired) https://www.wired.com/story/del-harvey-twitter-trust-and-safety-breaks-her-silence/