Musk's X appoints third head of safety in two years
X has appointed Kylie McRoberts as its new Head of Safety, making her the third person to hold this position in just two years. The company has also hired Yale Cohen to manage Brand Safety and Advertiser Solutions. These changes occur about a year following Ella Irwin's resignation as the former Head of Safety. Her departure came after Elon Musk, the owner of X, publicly lambasted employees for enforcing policies related to misgendering.
Safety department's challenges post Musk's takeover
Since Musk took over the company, previously known as Twitter, the safety department has faced several challenges. Disputes between Musk and his safety leads have led to frequent changes in this role. Prior to Irwin's tenure, Yoel Roth held the position but resigned due to issues related to the launch of Twitter Blue in 2022.
New safety heads to spearhead X's initiatives
McRoberts and Cohen will primarily be responsible for leading X's safety initiatives. Their tasks include assuring advertisers that the platform does not profit from hate speech or terrorist content. Earlier this year, X announced plans to expand its safety team by hiring 100 new members, following a previous downsizing. As the US and India go into elections later this year, it will also be crucial for X to have a safety team in place to fight misinformation.
McRoberts's contributions to X's safety measures
While specific details about McRoberts's professional history are limited, she is already a part of X's safety team. During her tenure at X, she has played a key role in increasing "transparency in our moderation practices through labels, enhancing security with passkeys, as well as establishing our new Safety Center of Excellence in Austin," according to a statement from the company.
