X finally hiring security officers, following mass cuts [Video]

X (formerly Twitter) is re-investing in its trust, safety and security teams pre-election, after CEO Elon Musk controversially dissolved the platform’s oversight council nearly two years ago.

The company has opened up two dozen new safety and cybersecurity positions at sites across the United States, TechCrunch reported, a lean addition intended to bulk up its skeleton staff. Positions spread across existing teams, including roles for a director of strategic response, government affairs managers, security engineers, and a threat intelligence specialist. Earlier this year, X announced it wanted to build back out its content moderation team, beginning with 100-employee staff for a “Trust and Safety center of excellence” based in Austin, TX.

But these recent hiring announcements, and their modest staff numbers, come after years of Musk quietly chipping away at X’s safety investments. A report by Australia’s online safety commissioner published in January found that the CEO fired around 80 percent of its trust and safety …