Scroll. Click. Suffer: The Hidden Human Cost of Content Moderation and Data Labelling
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Report Summary,
Launched on May 28, 2025, ‘Scroll. Click. Suffer.’ is Equidem’s in-depth investigation into the hidden workforce behind AI and social media—data labellers and content moderators. Based on interviews with 113 workers across Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and The Philippines, the report exposes the extreme occupational, psychological, sexual, and economic harms faced by those moderating violent content and training AI models for platforms like Meta, TikTok, and ChatGPT.
From PTSD and substance dependency to union-busting and exploitative contracts, it reveals an industry architecture that normalises harm and conceals abuse. Tech giants outsource risk down opaque, informal supply chains, while workers are silenced by NDAs, punished for speaking out, and denied basic protections.
Grounded in worker testimonies and legal analysis, the report outlines a clear roadmap for reform—and calls on lead firms, investors, governments, and the ILO to centre the rights of digital workers.
