Trust & safety career highlights: Stories from Twitter, TikTok and beyond

Content moderation is still a young industry. Though it continues to grow rapidly and largely entered the cultural mainstream, perceptions of careers in this space are still overshadowed by negative press coverage, particularly with respect to working conditions and egregious content. So here, we’ve asked three members of our team to share their career highlights and provide a different, positive perspective on what a trust and safety role can look like.

Because despite its youth, the content moderation industry quickly became an indispensable part of the online ecosystem, with an estimated worth of US$9 billion as of 2024 – and it’s ever-growing.

The scale of work and responsibility is immense, with major platforms employing thousands of moderators. For instance, as of 2022, TikTok had an estimated 10,000 content moderators, Facebook 15,000, and Twitter 1,500.

The emergence of AI and machine learning technologies introduced new tools to assist human moderators, but the need for human judgment in understanding context and nuance remains crucial.

Few understand this responsibility, and the evolution of the industry, better than Ailís Daly, Josh Buxbaum, and Alex Popken – three industry leaders whose collective experience spans decades of tackling the toughest challenges in content moderation, online safety, and platform integrity.

From building global teams at the world’s biggest tech companies to navigating crises and shaping innovative strategies, their journeys illustrate the ever-evolving role of trust and safety.

Each brings a unique perspective on what it means to balance growth, community wellbeing, and human rights in a rapidly evolving online landscape. Here, they share their stories of the people they’ve led, the solutions they’ve shaped, and the impact they’ve made in this vital industry.

Read on for some of their career highlights.

Ailís Daly

Ailís Daly joined WebPurify as Head of Trust & Safety EMEA from TikTok, where she served as the Global Head of Violence & Aggression Issue Policies. With over 11 years in the tech industry, Ailís has been at the forefront of mitigating real-world harms arising from online content.

“Over 11 years ago, I sought my first role in the tech industry. I recognized the potential for growth, influence, and impact in this rapidly developing field. It felt like a pivotal moment, as the foundations of the internet were being shaped, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to contribute to its future. As a professional in this industry, I’ve been part of efforts to mitigate the real-world harms that can arise from online content. This work has felt incredibly worthwhile. My contributions included supporting the preparation for upcoming regulations, building trust with regulators, consulting experts on policy changes, developing crisis response plans, and providing strategic guidance on critical online challenges related to speech, violence, and abuse.

“My greatest accomplishment is building a global team of industry-leading policy developers at TikTok. This team sought to protect the TikTok community from harm and provide a safe platform where marginalized voices could thrive. With an exceptional understanding of the moderation ecosystem, we tackled the most complex safety issues through two major global conflicts, all while upholding a human rights approach. I take great pride in our work tackling misogyny, combating human trafficking and smuggling and developing nuanced policies related to gender-based violence.”

Josh Buxbaum

Josh Buxbaum, Co-founder of WebPurify, and has seen the content moderation industry develop from infancy.

“With 18 years of experience in the trust and safety space, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing many defining moments in my career. One that truly stands out occurred recently during a meeting with several of our team leads and managers. As I listened to these talented experts share their insights, I couldn’t help but reflect on their early days with us – when they were just starting out as moderators, navigating their way through challenges. The sense of pride I felt in that moment was overwhelming. To see these individuals, who trusted us with their potential, now thriving as accomplished leaders at WebPurify, reinforces our commitment to fostering internal growth. Knowing that we’ve always prioritized promoting from within, and watching that philosophy come to life, is an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Alex Popken

Alexandra Popken, WebPurify’s first VP of Trust and Safety, comes from X, where she was the Head of Trust and Safety Operations. Alex’s career highlights include building and scaling Twitter’s trust and safety operations for monetization, growing it from a one-person team to a global organization.

“Like Josh and Ailís, the most rewarding aspect of my career has been the incredible people I’ve had the privilege to lead and learn from. Central to this was building and scaling Twitter’s trust and safety operations for monetization, starting as a team of one (me) and growing it into a world-class global organization. While many assume safety and sales teams operate in opposition, we proved otherwise, forging a strong partnership rooted in mutual respect. Together, we demonstrated that it’s possible to grow a business responsibly, in a way that aligns with our values and makes us proud.

“Now that I’m on the service side at WebPurify, I’ve loved tackling our clients’ diverse content moderation and trust and safety challenges, becoming a true extension of their teams. Our deep commitment to our clients shines through in every partnership, and knowing they recognize and value that dedication is something I’m incredibly proud of.”