Facebook Says It Will Double Safety and Security Staff to 20,000

The Facebook Inc. application is demonstrated on an Apple Inc. iPad Air in this arranged photograph in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Jan. 27, 2014. Facebook Inc. is expected to release earnings data on Jan. 29.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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By Sarah Frier

October 31, 2017 at 9:01 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Facebook Inc. said it will double its safety and security staff to 20,000, including contract workers, by the end of 2018.

The company made the commitment in testimony before U.S. senators, who were questioning the social-media giant -- along with Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google -- about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the role of online platforms. Colin Stretch, the top Facebook lawyer, explained that the new hires would help track behavior of extremists on its sites. The company had just over 20,000 total employees at the end of June.