TikTok's Moroccan content moderators speak out about psychological distress, low pay

Welcome to the start of another month. Today, Insider has a gripping investigation into the psychological distress facing TikTok content moderators in Morocco.

I'm your host, Jordan Parker Erb. Let's get straight to it.

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1. TikTok's Moroccan content moderators speak out. As the app gains in popularity in the Middle East and North Africa, it's ramping up its content moderation operation in the region — but reviewers say they're watching hours of graphic videos with little psychological help.

• Nine current and former content moderators in Morocco described experiences of severe psychological distress as a result of their jobs with outsourcing companies.
• Moderators described goals that were impossible to reach, videos of suicide and animal cruelty, and work that made them feel more like robots than human beings. Each said they were paid less than $3 an hour.
• Some reviewers said that while the outsourcing firm does offer in-house wellness counselors, they weren't enough to help them with the pressures of the role.

Inside the life of a TikTok content moderator.

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Odds and ends:

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What we're watching today:

• Pinterest and others are reporting earnings. Keep up with earnings here.
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Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.

Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.