Facebook creating 1,000 new UK jobs
Facebook is poised to launch a hiring spree for 1,000 UK staff as it seeks to tackle the spread of toxic messages online, The Telegraph reports.
A large number of the new jobs will be in Facebook's Community Integrity team, which is specifically tasked with taking down harmful content such as child pornography and terrorist propaganda.
The social media firm is under heavy pressure to do a better job of policing its services, with the UK preparing to launch a new regulator which will oversee content posted online and ensure harmful posts are banned.
It was heavily criticised in 2017 over the suicide of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old who took her own life after viewing graphic images of self-harm on the company's image-sharing service Instagram.
Facebook and other firms could face significant fines if they fail to take down posts which incite violence or put the personal safety of others.
In a visit to the capital today, Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg will say: "London is home to Facebook’s biggest engineering hub outside the US and we’re committed to investing here for the long term."
Other jobs being offered by the company include software engineering and data science roles at Facebook-owned apps such as WhatsApp, as well as an expansion of its artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality divisions in London.
The company is also constructing new office space across two buildings in London’s King’s Cross which will have the potential to house up to 6,000 workers. The first building is due to open in late 2021.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “It’s great news Facebook plans to create a thousand more jobs in London – yet another sign of the strength of our dynamic tech sector."
Facebook expects to have 4,000 employees in the UK by the end of 2020, with over half of these staff in tech roles which are typically highly paid.
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