Ep 3. The Cleaners

In season 20, episode 3 of Independent Lens, viewers are taken on a fascinating journey into the murky world of content moderation and social media censorship. Titled The Cleaners, this episode sheds light on the anonymous individuals who are tasked with the gargantuan responsibility of keeping the internet "clean."

The documentary kicks off with a stark revelation - millions of pieces of content are flagged for removal every day, and it is impossible for human moderators to keep up with the sheer volume. Instead, the task has been outsourced to companies like TaskUs, which operates in several Southeast Asian countries and employs thousands of workers to sift through images and videos flagged for removal by Facebook.

What follows is a series of interviews with current and former content moderators, all of whom are bound by strict confidentiality agreements. But even as they share heartbreaking stories of the psychological toll of the job, they are acutely aware that any form of dissent could result in the loss of their livelihood.

As the documentary unfolds, it becomes clear that content moderation isn't just a matter of reviewing explicit images or hate speech. The moderators are often tasked with removing political content, including images and videos that document human rights violations. This has raised questions about the power of social media platforms to shape the narrative around world events, and the potential censorship of voices that are critical of the status quo.

The Cleaners doesn't shy away from the ethical implications of content moderation. It delves into the oftentimes ambiguous guidelines that determine what is acceptable, and the fact that moderators are often operating in a gray area with no clear framework to guide their decisions. For instance, a moderator may be tasked with removing graphic content depicting violence, but what if that content is intended to raise awareness about an ongoing conflict or human rights violation? Such complexities are not lost on the moderators themselves, who often report being haunted by the images they have to review every day.

The documentary also touches on the power dynamics at play between social media platforms and the governments that regulate them. In many countries, social media has become a key battleground for political propaganda, and moderators are tasked with removing content that violates local laws. However, this can also lead to censorship of voices that are critical of those in power. The Cleaners examines cases where Facebook has been complicit in the suppression of dissent, raising questions about the platform's commitment to free speech.

Overall, The Cleaners is a thought-provoking documentary that offers a unique perspective on the role of content moderators in shaping our online experiences. It forces viewers to confront the uncomfortable truth that the internet is not a free-for-all but a carefully curated space, and the responsibility for that curation lies in the hands of anonymous individuals operating in far-flung corners of the world. The documentary also raises important questions about the transparency and accountability of social media platforms, and the potential consequences of unchecked power. For anyone who has ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of content moderation, The Cleaners is a must-watch.