The Tech Policy Press Podcast Considering Trust and Safety's Past, Present, and Future
Nov 30, 2025
Danielle Keats Citron, a law professor and cyberstalking scholar, Ari Ezra Waldman, a socio-legal expert on privacy, and Jeff Allen, former Meta data scientist, delve into the evolution of trust and safety in tech. They explore the shift from ad hoc moderation to formal policies, highlighting significant events like Gamergate. Their discussion touches on the impact of organizational dynamics, the challenges of compliance governance, and a hopeful note about seasoned professionals moving to regulatory roles. An enlightening look into the complex world of digital safety!
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Episode notes
Leaks And Crises Pushed Transparency
- Danielle describes leaks (e.g., Facebook employee manual) and events like Gamergate and The Fappening pushing platforms public.
- Advertiser pressure and high-profile coverage around 2014 drove resources toward formal moderation.
History Beyond Social Media Hype
- Jeff Allen traces trust and safety roots to eBay and early PageRank concerns about manipulation.
- He ties later integrity work to political events (Arab Spring, ISIS, Cambridge Analytica, Russian IRA) that reframed societal impacts.
Embed Integrity Within Product Teams
- Build integrity teams within product orgs so each product assesses its own harms and mitigation.
- Ensure product teams take integrity seriously rather than treating it as an afterthought.
