Elon Musk's X Under Fire: Australian Watchdog Exposes Deep Workforce Reduction In Anti-Abuse Teams

Australia's online watchdog released new figures on Thursday indicating that Elon Musk's company, X, has reduced its global workforce by over 1,000 employees in teams dedicated to preventing online abusive content.

The eSafety Commission in Australia noted that the "deep cuts" and the reactivation of numerous previously banned accounts have generated an ideal environment for the dissemination of harmful content.

In recent months, the regulator has focused on X, asserting that Musk's acquisition aligned with a notable surge in "toxicity and hate" on the platform.

Leveraging Australia's Online Safety Act, the eSafety Commission has acquired a comprehensive breakdown of the personnel at X, including software engineers, content moderators, and other safety staff.

The information revealed that, following Musk's acquisition in October 2022, a total of 1,213 specialised "trust and safety staff", including contractors, have departed from X.