Facebook Ireland is confident that the social media giant's plans to bolster its content policing on the platform will result in further Dublin expansion.
With CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg confirming last week that it would add some 3,000 people to their community operations team around the world, the Irish team's expertise in the area makes it a likely focal point for new positions.
Adrian Weckler of the Irish Independent writes this week that Zuckerberg's pledge "all but guarantees" the Dublin facility will be expanded beyond the 2,400 workforce it officially has in his sights.
Whilst a Facebook Ireland spokeswoman told the paper that a decision has not been made as yet on where the 3,000 moderators will be placed, Weckler cited a recent interview with Facebook Ireland boss Gareth Lambe in which he said:
"If the business and platform continue to grow, we expect to continue to grow pretty substantially in Ireland.
"Our largest single team here is community operations, which is the team responsible for the trust and safety of our users."
The additions will take the number of people working for Facebook's community operations team around the world to 7,500 and are intended to improve the process for reporting video and responding more quickly.
In a post on his own profile page, Zuckerberg stated:
"Over the last few weeks, we've seen people hurting themselves and others on Facebook – either live or in video posted later. It's heartbreaking, and I've been reflecting on how we can do better for our community.
"We're working to make these videos easier to report so we can take the right action sooner – whether that's responding quickly when someone needs help or taking a post down.
"These reviewers will also help us get better at removing things we don't allow on Facebook like hate speech and child exploitation.
"And we'll keep working with local community groups and law enforcement who are in the best position to help someone if they need it – either because they're about to harm themselves, or because they're in danger from someone else."
Currently employing 1,600 at Grand Canal Square, Facebook has confirmed that some 800 desks will be added in its new East Wall premises. It makes for the company's largest footprint in any region in the world, outside of its Silicon Valley headquarters.
In his Independent interview, Lambe did note that the capital's current housing shortage could pose problems going forward:
"It would be a concern for the future, both in the affordability and the availability. In five years' time, will we have the infrastructure to accommodate future growth?"
