After Elon Musk took control of X (then called Twitter), a major wave of layoffs swept through the company, affecting all departments as part of his vision to downsize and optimize operations.
Despite these drastic cuts, X is now reversing course a few years later, as per report from androidheadlines the platform is actively recruiting for positions in security, cybersecurity, and content moderation to strengthen the platform’s safety and trust measures.
Initially, the layoffs had a substantial impact on X’s trust and safety team, with full-time content moderators reduced from 107 to 51, and contracted moderators dropping from 2,613 to 2,305. Musk’s approach at the time was rooted in the belief that less content moderation was necessary, with a strong emphasis on promoting free speech on the platform.
Despite these earlier decisions, X soon recognized that content moderation was essential to maintaining platform safety. Hiring efforts began shortly after the initial layoffs, and now the company is actively building a new Trust and Safety center in Austin, Texas, adding 100 full-time content moderators.
Alongside this, X is recruiting for positions like a director of strategic response and government affairs managers, roles critical to managing the platform’s ongoing challenges, including regulatory disputes, such as its ban in Brazil for allegedly spreading disinformation.
With the increasing importance of online safety, balancing free speech with effective content moderation is crucial for X’s future.
