Content Moderators Form Global Alliance to Demand Better Working Conditions
Searching for why content moderators are organizing against Big Tech? Workers for Meta, TikTok, Google, and others have united under a new global trade union alliance to fight for fair treatment, better mental health support, and stable employment. The Global Trade Union Alliance of Content Moderators (GTUACM), launched in Nairobi, Kenya, marks a significant step toward holding tech companies accountable for the harsh realities faced by moderators. Contract workers, often responsible for reviewing disturbing content like hate speech and violent imagery, are banding together to demand living wages, permanent contracts, and safer work environments.
Companies such as Meta, ByteDance, and Alphabet heavily outsource content moderation tasks, relying on contract workers to sift through traumatic material daily. These workers screen violent videos, child exploitation imagery, and extremist content to keep platforms "safe" for users — but often at the cost of their own mental health. GTUACM emphasizes that many moderators suffer from depression, PTSD, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts due to relentless exposure without sufficient psychological support.
Unrealistic performance targets, constant surveillance, and precarious employment only add to the crushing burden. As former Meta moderator Michał Szmagaj put it, "The pressure to review thousands of horrific videos daily – beheadings, child abuse, torture – takes a devastating toll on our mental health." Workers are demanding an end to unstable contracts and calling for robust mental health resources during work hours.
Global Push for Fair Contracts and Mental Health Protections
The newly formed GTUACM aims to provide a coordinated platform for content moderators across the globe to collectively bargain for better working conditions. Trade unions in Ghana, Kenya, Turkey, Poland, Colombia, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Philippines are the founding members of this movement. Unions in Ireland, Germany, and others are expected to join soon, creating a powerful network advocating for systemic industry changes.
Though US-based unions were not present at the Nairobi event, their support remains strong. According to Benjamin Parton of UNI Global Union, American organizations like the CWA continue to collaborate behind the scenes to hold Big Tech accountable for conditions within their supply chains.
Kenya Becomes a Flashpoint for Content Moderation Labor Rights
Kenya, emerging as a global hub for outsourced content moderation, has become a key battleground in the fight for workers' rights. Benson Okwaro, General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union of Kenya (COWU), stressed that while investment is welcome, it must not come at the expense of workers' health. "Moderators everywhere will no longer stay silent while platforms profit from their pain," Okwaro declared, naming Meta, TikTok, Alphabet, and Amazon among companies that must answer for their labor practices.
Legal Battles Heat Up Against Meta, TikTok, and Their Contractors
Lawsuits are mounting. Former Meta content moderators in Ghana and Kenya are suing the company for psychological harm caused by their work. TikTok moderators employed by Telus Digital are also taking legal action after alleging wrongful termination tied to unionization efforts. Former workers report being fired for advocating better mental health provisions and fairer contracts — raising serious concerns about retaliation within Big Tech’s outsourcing networks.
"The content we see doesn’t just disappear at the end of a shift," said Özlem, a former Telus worker. "It haunts our sleep and leaves permanent emotional scars." Workers claim that management often dismisses their complaints by blaming "client requirements" from companies like TikTok.
Tech Giants Can't Outsource Responsibility Any Longer
Labor advocates argue that Big Tech companies must not hide behind outsourcing arrangements to evade responsibility for workplace harm. Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, emphasized that content moderation can and must be safer. She called for platforms like Facebook and TikTok to commit to humane standards, including long-term employment contracts, living wages, and real mental health protections.
The Future of Content Moderation Work: A Fight for Dignity and Justice
The formation of GTUACM marks a watershed moment in the content moderation industry. As lawsuits, unionization efforts, and global alliances gain momentum, tech companies are under increasing pressure to reform exploitative practices. Content moderators, long considered invisible frontline workers of the internet, are stepping into the spotlight to demand justice, dignity, and fair treatment.
Workers are no longer willing to sacrifice their mental health and job security while tech giants reap billions in ad revenue. The movement for safer, more sustainable content moderation is only just beginning — and its ripple effects could transform how Big Tech manages its platforms and its people.
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