A Facebook moderator suffered mental trauma due to his work, according to a Spanish court.

A Spanish court has recognized the damage caused to Facebook content moderators. A court in Barcelona has confirmed that a former worker subcontracted by a social network owned by Meta suffered mental trauma due to the tasks he performed. Between them leaked footage of suicides, mutilations, beheadings and torture.

The Social Court No. 28 of Barcelona ruled that the mental health problems of the former moderator qualified as an industrial accident. This is not a common disease, as Facebook claims.

The moderator who benefited from the decision was worked for CCC Barcelona Digital Services from 2018 to 2020. The company is owned by Telus International, one of Meta’s third-party suppliers.

“The employee in his workplace was subjected to a situation of severe emotional and psychological impact,” said the January 12 ruling, which he had access to. Reuters. The ruling added that the leave granted to the moderator in 2019 was “solely and undoubtedly” due to his work. Therefore, you are entitled to additional compensation.

For the first time in Spain, a court recognizes the damage caused to content moderators. The victim, whose identity was not revealed as a protective measure, was forced to watch content that included “self-mutilation, beheadings of civilians killed by terrorist groups, torture of people and suicides,” Judge Jesus Fuertes said.

Work overload due to Facebook

The former moderator has already received support from the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) of Spain. As a result, CCC filed a lawsuit in 2022 seeking to overturn the social security agency’s decision regarding its responsibility for workers’ health. The same case is now decided by Fuertes in favor of the worker.

The resolution also mentions that CCC moderators are under intense pressure due to workload. This type of work is “a source of stress that can cause psychological damage and post-traumatic stress disorder,” the document emphasizes. He also questioned the company’s failure to take action despite being aware of the health concerns of its employees.

Another 20 former and current content moderators at CCC are suing. for the same reasons, explained Francesc Feliu, the lawyer representing the entire group of workers. Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, did not respond to requests for comment from several media outlets. Telus, for its part, said it was disappointed with the decision and would appeal.

Global requirement

The Spanish case sets an important precedent for content moderator lawsuits around the world. For several years, workers subcontracted by Facebook have complained about the appalling working conditions they endure.

“Imagine spending hours watching violent content or child abuse online as part of your daily job,” Facebook moderators in at least seven countries said in an open letter published in 2021. “You have no way of getting out unscathed. “This work shouldn’t cost us our mental health” they condemned in a letter.

At the same time, workers were also warned about “culture of fear and secrecy” imposed by the social network. And they asked Facebook not to force them to sign highly restrictive privacy agreements.

Facebook reached an agreement with moderators in California, US, that included a payment of $52 million in 2020. The company said it would investigate the matter.

Meta owes them a debt “to provide meaningful, consistent mental health care and safe workplaces to the tens of thousands of workers doing this work around the world,” said Martha Dark, director of technology rights organization Foxglove. In statements to ReutersDark called on governments to introduce more regulations to ensure social media is a safe space for both users and employees.