Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, confirmed the layoff of approximately 1,800 content moderators at its Barcelona hub in Spain, part of a broader restructuring of its global content moderation operations.
The decision, executed through Meta’s third-party contractor CCC Barcelona Digital Services, affects the majority of the hub’s workforce, which had grown to become one of Meta’s largest moderation centers in Europe. The layoffs align with Meta’s strategic shift toward automation and artificial intelligence for content moderation, alongside a reduction in third-party fact-checking partnerships in the U.S. and revised policies aimed at streamlining operations amid regulatory and political pressures.
The Barcelona hub, operational since 2018, specialized in reviewing content in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, and Arabic, to ensure compliance with Meta’s community standards on hate speech, misinformation, and harmful content. The layoffs follow Meta’s announcement in late 2024 that it would scale back human moderation in favor of AI-driven systems, which the company claims are more efficient and less prone to human error.
Employees were informed of the cuts in early May, with severance packages and job placement support offered, though local unions criticized the move as abrupt and disruptive, noting the region’s high unemployment rate. The decision also reflects Meta’s response to evolving content moderation demands, particularly in the U.S., where it has faced accusations of bias in content decisions, prompting a reduction in external fact-checking contracts.
The layoffs come amid broader cost-cutting measures at Meta, which reported a 71% drop in first-quarter 2025 earnings, partly due to tariff-related supply chain costs and increased AI infrastructure investments. In Spain, the cuts have raised concerns about the impact on local economies, as Barcelona’s tech sector has relied on Meta’s presence. Critics argue that the shift to AI moderation may compromise the nuance required for handling complex cultural and political content, potentially leading to errors in content flagging.
Meta, however, maintains that its AI systems, combined with a smaller, specialized human workforce, will enhance efficiency while meeting regulatory requirements in the EU and beyond. The Barcelona layoffs mark a significant step in Meta’s transformation of its content moderation framework, with implications for its global operations and public perception of its platforms.