How Elon Musk’s ruthless layoffs, summary firings paint him as an employer | How Elon Musk’s ruthless layoffs, summary firings paint him as an employer
Elon Musk’s X, previously Twitter, has undergone significant layoffs, cutting over 1,000 global staff responsible for combating abusive online content, as revealed by Australia’s eSafety Commission. This move, coupled with the reinstatement of numerous banned accounts, has led the commission to identify a concerning surge in harmful content dissemination, labeling it a “perfect storm.”
Under Australia’s Online Safety Act, the eSafety Commission acquired detailed data on X’s workforce composition, exposing a departure of 1,213 “trust and safety staff” since Elon Musk’s acquisition in October 2022. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasized the departure of 80 percent of software engineers focused on “trust and safety issues,” likening it to a significant reduction in safety measures.
The eSafety Commission, at the forefront of global efforts to regulate social media, has faced challenges in enforcing these regulations. Despite slapping X with a substantial fine for insufficient action against child pornography, the platform ignored the deadline and initiated legal action against the penalty. Australia’s proactive stance on social media regulation contrasts with X’s resistance, creating a complex landscape in the ongoing struggle to curb online harm. X declined to comment on the situation, providing an automated response citing busyness.
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