Lorraine Williamson
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has confirmed the closure of its content moderation centre in Barcelona. Operated by Canadian firm Telus International, the site was based in the Torre Glòries skyscraper and employed around 2,000 staff.
The closure, part of Meta’s shift in global policy, removes a key digital presence from the Catalan capital. The centre has played a vital role since 2018 in monitoring content on Facebook and Instagram across Europe. Teams of multilingual moderators reviewed videos, images and text to flag harmful or misleading material.
Barcelona’s digital role diminished
Barcelona has marketed itself in recent years as a growing tech hub. The departure of Meta’s moderation centre is seen as a setback for the city’s digital ambitions. The decision reflects Meta’s broader strategy to bring moderation back in-house and reduce reliance on third-party services.
Although Meta has not issued an official statement, Telus International confirmed the closure. The company will maintain other operations in Barcelona and has pledged to support staff affected by the job cuts.
Union anger and lack of dialogue
Spanish trade unions CCOO and UGT criticised the decision, calling it a “dismissal by stealth.” They said workers were not consulted and warned of growing job insecurity in the sector. The loss of 2,000 jobs will hit the local labour market hard.
Concerns over online safety
Experts have raised concerns that fewer human moderators could increase the spread of harmful content. The risks include more hate speech, misinformation and graphic material appearing on Meta’s platforms.
This is not the first time the moderation centre has attracted criticism. Staff had previously spoken out about the psychological strain of reviewing disturbing content daily. In one recent court ruling, a worker was awarded compensation after developing severe anxiety disorders linked to their role.
The human cost of digital moderation
The closure marks a broader question in the tech industry: Who protects the people protecting the platforms? As companies shift to AI or decentralised moderation, human moderators’ mental health and job security remain unresolved.
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