According to a recent report from the Australian E-safety Commission, X Corp (previously known as Twitter) has reduced its trust and safety staff by over 30 percent. The commission, responsible for ensuring the online safety of Australians, said that this coincides with the arrival of new owner Elon Musk and his efforts to curtail company expenses. Strikingly, this included the removal of over 80% of X Corp’s security engineers who play an essential role in safeguarding the platform against hackers. More details can be found from the E-safety Commission’s official statement.
Not only are these engineers tasked with reducing the risk of hacking, but they’re also responsible for monitoring and policing hate-based behaviour within the platform. As noted by the overseeing body, user reports regarding such hate speech have increased dramatically since Musk took over. However, the number of individuals who have been banned for conducting such activities has seen a decrease. Further details about the issue of online hate speech on the platform can be reviewed here.
The report also highlighted other significant findings, including a 45 percent reduction in trust and safety staff located in the Asia Pacific region and a total elimination of Australian-based staff. This follows a legal challenge in June 2023 regarding X Corp’s terms and conditions under the Online Safety Act in Australia. The E-safety Commission voiced concerns over X’s commitment to meeting the established basic online safety expectations outlined by the law. Updates to this legal challenge remain ongoing.
For more in-depth analysis and details, the full report from the Australian E-safety Commission can be found here.