Two former Microsoft employees who were responsible for monitoring child pornography and other criminal material have filed a lawsuit against the company, The Daily Beast reports, alleging that they were not provided with psychological support to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The employees, Henry Soto and Greg Blauert, were part of Microsoft’s Online Safety Team, where they were charged with reviewing material that had been flagged as potentially illegal. According to the lawsuit, Soto’s job involved viewing “horrible brutality, murder, indescribable sexual assaults,” and other content “designed to entertain the most twisted and sick-minded people in the world.” Blauert had to “review thousands of images of child pornography, as well as more traditional adult pornography that would normally be found on a website like https://www.tubevideoshd.xxx/ and bestiality that graphically depicted the violence and depravity of the perpetrators,” according to the complaint.
Both men say they suffered “vicarious trauma” and symptoms associated with PTSD, including nightmares, anxiety, and hallucinations. When they complained about their health, Microsoft offered a “Wellness Program,” but the suit alleges that the therapist involved with the program was not qualified to treat their symptoms. Program supervisors also advised them to take smoke breaks and walks to deal with their problems, while Blauert was advised to play more video games, according to the complaint.