Facebook has agreed to pay USD 52 million to content moderators on the social to compensate them for mental health issues developed on the job. The preliminary settlement was filed in San Mateo Superior Court and includes plans to provide more counseling to moderators while they work, the Verge reports.
Each current and former moderator will receive a minimum of USD 1,000 and will be eligible for additional compensation if they are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or related conditions. The settlement covers 11,250 moderators, and lawyers in the case believe that as many as half of them may be eligible for extra pay related to mental health issues associated with their time working for Facebook, including depression and addiction.
In September 2018, former Facebook moderator Selena Scola sued Facebook, alleging that she developed PTSD after being placed in a role that required her to regularly view photos and images of rape, murder, and suicide. Scola developed symptoms of PTSD after nine months on the job. The complaint, which was ultimately joined by several other former Facebook moderators working in four states, alleged that Facebook had failed to provide them with a safe workspace.
