TikTok Content Moderator Suing Company, Says Viewing Images of Suicide, Child Rape & Murder on Platform Caused Her PTSD

A TikTok content moderator is suing TikTok and its parent company for causing her to develop PTSD from viewing nonstop traumatic content.

Candie Frazier is a contractor employee with Telus International, which was hired by the platform to review flagged TikTok posts. The agency is tasked with reviewing and deleting “horrific” clips that include beheadings, murders, suicides, and even child sexual assault footage.

In addition to the gory footage, Frazier’s lawsuit says she was exposed to torture and bestiality, videos, as well as extreme conspiracy theories, misinformation, and “distortions of historical facts.” Frazier now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the continuous exposure to violent images throughout her workday.

Though Telus International does inform job applicants that the content moderator position may include viewing of disturbing content, it is unclear if this description was available when Frazier initially applied and subsequently accepted her role. The company also requires all employees to have “sound coping, emotion regulation, and stress-management skills.”

Telus is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday, but TikTok and the company that owns the platform, ByteDance, are being blamed for failing to implement workplace safety protocols that will protect the mental health of moderators.

Frazier works 12-hour shifts on average, with two 15-minute breaks and an hour lunch break in between. Other companies that hire content moderators limit their employees to four hours of work daily. The Technology Coalition also suggests that content moderators be provided with therapy and be given the option of not watching images of child sexual assault.