What, if anything, should be banned from online media? And who should review violent and explicit content, in order to decide if it’s okay for the public? Thousands of people around the world are working long, difficult hours as content moderators in support of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. They are guided by complex and shifting guidelines, and their work can sometimes lead to psychological trauma. But the practice of content moderation also raises questions about censorship and free expression online.

In this episode of Mozilla’s IRL podcast, host Manoush Zomorodi talks with a forensic investigator who compares the work she does solving disturbing crimes with the work done by content moderators. We hear the stories of content moderators working in the Philippines, as told by the directors of a new documentary called The Cleaners. Ellen Silver from Facebook joins us to outline Facebook’s content moderation policies. Kalev Leetaru flags the risks that come from relying on artificial intelligence to clean the web. And Kat Lo explains why this work is impossible to get exactly right.

Some of the content in this episode is sensitive, and may be difficult to hear for some listeners.

We spotted this podcast in the newsletter for Tobias Denskus’s blog Aidnography, a great source of interesting info about communicating development. Tobias is a Senior Lecturer in Communication for Development in the School of Arts and Communication at Malmö University in Sweden.

IRL @firefox is an original podcast from Mozilla, makers of Firefox. Our online life is real life. We walk, talk, work, LOL and even love on the Internet – but we don’t always treat it like real life. Host Manoush Zomorodi explores this disconnect with stories from the wilds of the Web, and gets to the bottom of online issues that affect us all. Whether it’s privacy breaches, closed platforms, hacking, fake news, or cyber bullying, we the people have the power to change the course of the Internet, keeping it ethical, safe, weird, and wonderful for everyone.

About Mozilla: Mozilla is the maker of Firefox, and an organization that puts people over profit. We empower people to be safe and strong online, build tools and products that battle Big Tech, and champion a more just, equal, and fair system for all. And, we keep your data safe. Never sold.

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