Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Facebook to hire 1,000 new UK staff as it tries to crack down on spam and abuse

Company has received sustained criticism over misuse of its platform

Andrew Griffin
Tuesday 21 January 2020 10:54 GMT
Comments
The social media platform is dealing with the fallout from cyberbullying and election interference
The social media platform is dealing with the fallout from cyberbullying and election interference

Facebook has said it will hire 1,000 more people in the UK, as it attempts to cut down on spam and abuse.

The social media platform is looking to shed a reputation for allowing misuse of its platforms, for everything from cyberbullying to election interference.

Most of the recruits will work in technology-focused roles, the company said as it announced the jobs ahead of a new office being established in London. The roles include software engineering, product design and data science, as well as developing the WhatsApp app and Workplace, its business-centred version of Facebook.

Many of the staff will work as part of Facebook’s Community Integrity team, which builds the tools used to detect and remove harmful content across Facebook’s platforms, addressing issues from spam and abuse to violence and personal safety.

London is Facebook’s biggest engineering hub outside of the US, and the platform is currently building new office space, due to open in late 2021, in King’s Cross.

The latest additions will bring its total employee count in the UK to more than 4,000 by the end of the year, the company said.

Positions will also expand on Facebook’s artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality and engineering infrastructure teams in the capital.

Boris Johnson said the announcement was “another sign of the strength of our dynamic tech sector”.

“The UK is at the centre of tech growth and innovation, and is leading the way as the world’s biggest tech hub outside of Silicon Valley,” the prime minister said.

“It’s great news Facebook plans to create 1,000 more jobs in London – yet another sign of the strength of our dynamic tech sector.

“The UK is successfully creating both homegrown firms at the forefront of cutting-age technologies, such as artificial intelligence, whilst attracting established global tech giants like Facebook.

“We are committed to making the UK the safest place in the world to be online, alongside being one of the best places for technology companies to be based.”

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, is to announce the development to small and medium-sized businesses in London on Tuesday.

“The UK is a world leader in both innovation and creativity,” she is expected to say.

“That’s why I’m excited that we plan to hire an additional 1,000 people in London this year alone.

“London is home to Facebook’s biggest engineering hub outside the US and we’re committed to investing here for the long term.

“Many of these high-skilled jobs will help us address the challenges of an open internet and develop artificial intelligence to find and remove harmful content more quickly.

“They will also help us build the tools that help small businesses grow, compete with larger companies and create new jobs.”

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said: “London’s tech sector is a global success story, and the 1,000 new jobs Facebook is creating shows that our city has the talent to attract tech companies of all sizes from across the world.

“Facebook’s commitment to growing its business in the capital demonstrates that London is open and remains at the forefront of tech innovation.”

Additional reporting by Press Association

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in