Facebook is looking to hire 1,000 new employees in London throughout 2020, with more than half of the positions focusing on technology roles. Additionally, opportunities will be available in online curation. This development will push the total number of Facebook staff in the UK to beyond 4,000. The surge in hiring is prompted by mounting pressure to combat online extremism and other offensive content, with a significant number of these new hires to be part of Facebook’s team dedicated to maintaining community integrity. This team is responsible for overseeing content on Facebook, Whatsapp, and Instagram.
Recently, Facebook has faced scrutiny in the UK following the suicide of 14-year-old Molly Russell. Steve Hatch, Facebook’s UK and Ireland Director, acknowledged the impact of Molly’s tragic death on the company. He emphasized the need for stricter measures in dealing with problematic content, stating a goal to eliminate all harmful content with the continuous improvement of systems. Hatch indicated that Facebook has already taken down more than 2 million posts in the UK and Ireland.
The announcement of the new job openings in London was made by Facebook’s CFO, Sheryl Sandberg, on the previous evening.
