Facebook Inc. today agreed to pay $52 million to moderators who suffered mental health issues while on the job.

Moderators will receive a minimum of $1,000 each from Facebook, although if those staff have been diagnosed with mental health conditions, such as PTSD, there could be additional compensation. The company also agreed to provide counseling to staff while they do the job.

Most of those staff work or worked for third-party companies, each tasked with going through the social network and pulling down images and videos. Some of that content, as was revealed in an investigation last year, has plagued the moderators with stress issues.

The graphic content that the staff were moderating was often images and videos of extreme violence, cruelty to animals, child sexual abuse, terrorism, beheadings and, according to Steve Williams, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, just about every depravity that can be found circulating online.

The job itself has been advertised as “social media analyst,” although over the last few years the position has been called “the worst job in technology” and as one former moderator called it, “a sweatshop in America.”

Last year a group of former moderators sued Facebook for what they called “significant psychological harm” that had been done to them while they were on the job.

“We are so pleased that Facebook worked with us to create an unprecedented program to help people performing work that was unimaginable even a few years ago,” said Williams. “The harm that can be suffered from this work is real and severe. This settlement will provide meaningful relief, and I am so proud to have been part of it.”

More than 11,000 people who worked as moderators in the states of California, Arizona, Texas and Florida from 2015 until now could be eligible for the $1,000 payout, but some may receive up to $50,000 depending on what mental issues they have been diagnosed with.

Facebook also agreed to improve working conditions at the moderating offices and offer counseling sessions to present and future staff. In addition, the company said it would create new moderating tools that will make the work less stressful and monthly group therapy sessions will now be available.

“We are grateful to the people who do this important work to make Facebook a safe environment for everyone,” Facebook said in a statement after the court case. “We’re committed to providing them additional support through this settlement and in the future.”

Photo: Matt Walsh/Flickr