X Expands Security Team With Hiring Surge
X (formerly Twitter) is reaffirming its commitment to platform security by initiating a significant hiring spree. Two years after Elon Musk took control of the company and drastically reduced staffing in the “trust and safety center” by nearly 50%, the social media giant has posted two dozen job openings in cybersecurity and trust and safety roles. This move reflects a broader effort to strengthen the company’s infrastructure and improve user experience. If your business is also looking to bolster its IT capabilities, consider scheduling a discovery call with us to explore your options.
Musk's acquisition of X in 2022 was aimed at protecting free speech. However, the platform has since become an environment where almost anything can be said without repercussions, including the spread of dangerous misinformation. With this hiring surge, X is signaling a potential shift back toward stricter content monitoring, balancing free speech with user safety. To keep your business informed on how to navigate these cybersecurity challenges, sign up for our Cybersecurity Tip of the Week.
Job Postings Indicate Moderation Team Growth
While the hiring initiative marks a step in the right direction, even with this expansion, X’s trust and safety center will still operate below its 2022 staffing levels. At the time of Musk’s takeover, the full-time content moderation team numbered 107 employees, while today, only 51 remain. In 2024, over 300 contracted moderation workers also lost their positions. Similar reductions were seen in cybersecurity and safety engineers, whose numbers dropped from 279 to just 55 by mid-2023. If your company is facing similar staffing challenges, you might benefit from exploring Managed IT Services to streamline operations and fill gaps.
Why the Sudden Hiring Frenzy?
These extensive staff reductions have undeniably impacted X’s operations and financial health. Since Musk’s acquisition, the platform has lost 32 million users, and advertiser revenue has sharply declined, with nearly all advertisers leaving due to security concerns and unregulated content.
Despite generating nearly $1.5 billion in 2023, X’s revenue sharply dropped from the $4.4 billion earned in 2022. In the first half of 2024, the company reported only $517 million in revenue, far from profitability. The ongoing issues with platform safety and content moderation continue to exacerbate these financial challenges.
In August 2024, X faced another significant hurdle when Brazil banned the platform due to its refusal to regulate certain content that the Brazilian government found objectionable. Musk maintained that enforcing such regulations would amount to political censorship, but the decision resulted in the loss of millions of users and substantial revenue.
Most of the new job openings are located in Austin, Texas, which will become X’s new headquarters once its planned relocation from San Francisco is complete. Prospective applicants interested in cybersecurity roles, including threat intelligence specialists and government affairs managers, can find more information on the X Careers page.
