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T&S Early Warning News
Get ahead of new stories that are impacting the T&S industry.
No One Is Giving You a Free iPhone on Instagram: How to Avoid the Latest Social Media Scam
Cnet | April 03,2022
Company Listed: Instagram
Social media scams are nothing new, but cyberthieves continue to think up new ploys to get your personal information. If you use Instagram, you might've noticed a sudden uptick of strangers tagging you in posts about winning a free iPhone 13. All you have to do is click the link in the description to claim it, the post says. This scheme isn't new: It reportedly has resurfaced every few years along with the release of a new phone.
If you've been tagged in one – or several – of these posts, sorry, but there's no free phone waiting for you. If you click the link, you'll be redirected to a webpage where you'll be asked to enter a few details and your credit or debit card information, according to a February report by Hindustan Times Tech.
Twitter Bans Over 34K Accounts For Content Related To Child Abuse & Terrorism
INC42 | April 03, 2022
Company Listed: Twitter
Microblogging site Twitter has released its compliance report for the period between January 26, 2022 and February 25, 2022
According to the report, Twitter reported a total of 268 complaints during the same period. Most of the grievances pertained to online harassment (161), followed by impersonation (40), hateful conduct (18),manipulated media (14), defamation (11), copyright infringement (7), sensitive adult content (5), among others.
Based on these complaints, a total of 638 URLs were taken down. These included 471 URLs for online harassment, 50 for sensitive adult content, 42 for hateful conduct, 35 for IP-related infringement, 23 URLs for manipulated media, among others
The metaverse is not designed for women
Meta | April 02, 2022
Company Listed: Meta Facebook
It was the dawn of the ‘metaverse’. Just days after its launch, Nina Jane Patel, a psychotherapist and researcher reported being sexually assaulted there.
Within 60 seconds of joining — I was verbally and sexually harassed — 3 – 4 male avatars, with male voices, essentially, virtually gang raped my avatar and took photos — as I tried to get away they yelled — ‘don’t pretend you didn’t love it’ and ‘go rub yourself off to the photo’, she said.
The comments on her post describing her ordeal were familiar terms commonly used to dismiss victims of sexual assault: ‘don’t choose a female avatar, it’s a simple fix’, ‘don’t be stupid, it wasn’t real’, ‘a pathetic cry for attention’, ‘avatars don’t have lower bodies to assault’, ’you’ve obviously never played fortnite’.
When Patel’s story was picked up by news outlets, she said the hate escalated and she began receiving death threats and abusive comments on social media and email.
T&S Policies & Regulations
Regulatory news and policy decisions impacting the T&S ecosystem.
Compare and review T&S Policies for dozens of companies here
Google India Removes 93,067 Content Pieces In February; Weight of Copyright Complaints Heavier
Inc42 | April 02, 2022
Company Listed: Google
In the month of February this year, the U.S. tech giant Google has received 30,065 complaints in India, 96.1% or 28,890 complaints of which are copyright-related.
Google also said that between February 1 and 28, 2022, the company has removed 93,067 content based on users’ complaints against them. However, it is about an 11% drop when compared to January’s report.
The complaints Google receives are of various categories, including alleged infringement of intellectual property rights, violation of local laws prohibiting types of content on grounds such as defamation. The tech giant has always claimed to have assessed such complaints carefully.
NYC GOP lawmakers say they are being ‘stifled’ by Facebook and Twitter
NY Post | April 03, 2022
Company Listed: Twitter, Facebook Meta
Facebook and Twitter are waging war on the New York City Council’s GOP members, disabling or refusing to verify some of their accounts — including that of a Ukrainian native-turned-national figure, the pols claim.
Brooklyn Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who was born in Ukraine, says Twitter denied her request for verified status with no specific explanation.
“Welcome to the USSR — United States of Soviet Republic,” Vernikov told The Post.
“The problem is I am a conservative. They’re stifling conservative voices. There is no other reason,” she said.
Florida Attorney General and other states urge TikTok and Snapchat for stronger parental controls
WFTV.com | April 02, 2022
Company Listed: TikTok, Snapchat
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has joined 43 attorneys general from around the county urging social media sites to allow parents the ability to monitor a child’s online activity.
In a letter to TikTok and Snapchat this week, Moody and others asked the social media companies to create parental control applications and features to protect children from harmful content.
The internet is a dangerous place for children to explore without any guidance or protection. As a mother, I worry about what my child may encounter online.” Moody said.
The letter goes on to point out that several other social media platforms already use some form of content moderation and community guidelines, but note that they are not always sufficient to protect children and teenagers who are vulnerable.
T&S Careers & Jobs
T&S jobs posted recently, often within the last 24 hours, looking for top talent.
Check out all the recent T&S job postings here.
Kickstarter | Anywhere
Posted: April 04th 2022
Our ideal candidate has experience working collaboratively across technical and non-technical teams
Worked in the online risk industry for several years in a managerial role managing a team, preferably in a two-sided marketplace or community-driven organization
Strong leadership skills and experience
Experience dealing with e-fraud, intellectual property (DMCA, etc.), payments, legal compliance and regulatory issues
Experience managing moderation and abuse prevention inside a marketplace or community
Experience with documenting policies and procedures
Legal Trust and Safety Technology Data Program Manager
Meta | Chicago, IL, USA
Posted: April 02th 2022
The Technical Programs team in Meta’s Security, Integrity, and Investigations organization is looking for an experienced Technical Program Manager with a strong data background who is able develop process, prioritization and strategy balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders
Lastly, the candidate should have familiarity with or be willing to work on the intersection of tech, legal, compliance, and government matters
B.S. in Computer Science or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience
8+ years of software engineering, data, or technical product/program management experience
Experience delivering tech programs or products from inception to delivery
Knowledge of user needs, gathering requirements, and defining scope
Trust and Safety Risk Operations Investigator
Infinity Consulting Solutions, Inc. | Tucson, AZ, USA
Posted: April 03th 2022
2+ years complex financial crime investigative experience; and or
1+ years Intelligence Analysis or Law Enforcement experience working financial crimes
Proficient in the use of a personal computer and its applications, including Windows and Windows based applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, Google Sheets, Google Doc, etc.)
Customer-focused, with a passion for delivering the best possible customer experience
High level of professionalism, self-motivation and sense of urgency
Change agent and a facilitative team leader with a strong desire to achieve results
myGwork | Remote, OR, USA
Posted: April 02th 2022
We’re looking for someone who has: Experience in content moderation, policy development, and crisis management
Experience working within a larger (20 person) Trust & Safety team at medium-to-large web platform
An interest in—and deep understanding of—current internet policy issues such as freedom of speech, intellectual property, child safety, and government requests
An ability to communicate nuanced and complex issues in clear, straightforward terms
Comfort with collaboration across a globally distributed, multicultural team
Familiarity with Automattic’s suite of products and their associated communities
Trust & Safety Senior Risk Analyst
Indeed | Austin, TX, USA
Posted: April 02th 2022
You should be comfortable when asked to perform in-depth analysis and research in a competent and efficient manner
2 Years experience in fraud / risk investigation, analysis, trend tracking and reporting
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Able to deliver clear and succinct interpretations of data in a manner accessible to all relevant Indeed teams
Self-starter, intellectually curious and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment
Ability to quickly identify patterns and trends across seemingly unrelated content
T&S FAQs
What is T&S?
Great question (and one the industry hasn’t fully agreed upon). Think of Trust & Safety as the organization that protects social media and Big Tech companies and users from online abuse. As long as users are able to generate content online, time has told us that a minority of these users will create content that is offensive, scandalous, fraudulent, disingenuous, misinformative, hateful, spiteful, and harmful. T&S fights this with flexible policies, resilient operations, and informed detections.
Is T&S interesting?
That depends. If you enjoy stopping bad actors and keeping good people safe, then you’ll love T&S. It requires understanding new technologies and staying on top of breaking issues across society and the world. It also pays Big Tech salaries (no coding skills required).
How do you get into T&S?
That’s the tricky part. The short answer is: not easily. Most T&S orgs are part of Big Tech and (as a result) pay extremely well, so jobs are highly competitive. If you don’t know someone in the industry who can help refer you in, then you can learn more about T&S policies, current events, issues, regulations, and jobs at trustsafetyinstitute.com to improve your hiring chances and start doing meaningful work that helps people.