Canadian tech company Telus International, long tasked with moderating content for Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, is cutting over 2,000 jobs in Barcelona after Meta ended its contract, Spanish union CCOO said Monday.
Telus, operating locally as Barcelona Digital Services, told workers their content moderation roles were terminated—impacting 2,059 employees. Telus had handled moderation for Meta since 2018, a role now eliminated as Meta shifts its global content policies.
The layoffs come amid Meta’s move away from third-party fact-checkers and proactive moderation, a change CEO Mark Zuckerberg says is aimed at reducing political bias.
A Telus spokesperson declined to confirm the job loss figure but said the company would offer full assistance, including relocation options. The union says a preliminary deal ensures the highest legal compensation.
The shake-up reflects Meta’s evolving stance on online speech and its increasing reliance on community-driven moderation tools over contracted human oversight.
