TikTok Content Moderator Sues Company For Psychological Trauma

A TikTok content moderator is suing the micro-video platform for psychological trauma incurred while reviewing objectionable videos that showcased sexual assault, violence, suicide, and other disturbing scenarios.

The Washington Post reports that Candie Frazier is alleging TikTok did not provide adequate mental health resources in the face of the exposures, which resulted in anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The federal suit was filed against TikTok and its parent company Bytedance last week in California, and is seeking class-action status, according to the Post.

Frazier doesn’t work for TikTok but was contracted via Telus International, which provides IT services and multilingual customer service to its clients, like TikTok.

In a statement to the Post, TikTok said it does not comment on ongoing litigation, but said, “We strive to promote a caring working environment for our employees and our contractors.” The company added that it will “continue to expand on a range of wellness services so that moderators feel supported mentally and emotionally.”

This isn’t the first time that a platform has faced legal action from moderators for suffering trauma on the job. Facebook agreed to pay $52 million to settle a class action suit from content moderators whose work affected their mental health, while YouTube has faced similar legal action as well.