Yahoo News Facebook to create 1,000 new jobs in London
Facebook (FB) will create 1,000 new jobs in London by the end of 2020, with many of the new positions focussing on reducing harmful content in its communities.
The social network said most of the new jobs will be in technology-focussed areas, across software engineering, product design, and data science, as well as developing the WhatsApp app.
Many of the jobs will be in the Community Integrity (CI) team, which builds the tools used to detect and remove harmful content — tackling a diverse range of issues from spam to child abuse, bullying, and harassment.
The CI team has become a key part of the business amid a global backlash against social media communities and the harms they can incubate.
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London is Facebook’s biggest engineering hub outside of the US, and the platform is currently building new office space in King's Cross, which is due to open in late 2021. The new roles will bring the total number of UK employees to around 4,000.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, announced the development to small and medium-sized businesses in London on Tuesday.
“The UK is a world leader in both innovation and creativity,” she said.
“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.”
UK prime minister 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.”
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