X is reportedly hiring new security personnel, reversing a trend of downsizing its security teams that began with Elon Musk’s purchase of the company, then Twitter.

Following Musk’s purchase of X, the mercurial executive began slashing the security and moderation teams, leading to widespread criticism and accusations that hate speech began flourishing on the platform. In late 2022, US senators expressed concern to the FTC, saying that Musk “has taken alarming steps that have undermined the integrity and safety of the platform, and announced new features despite clear warnings those changes would be abused for fraud, scams and dangerous impersonation.”

According to TechRadar, X appears to be on a hiring spree, undoing some of the layoffs that have happened over the past two years. X cut the Trust and Safety team to 2,849, down from 4,026. Full-time moderators dropped from 107 to 51. The company has listed openings for at least two dozen jobs, all of them in cybersecurity and safety.

Why the About Face

There is no word on why X is suddenly reversing course, but it’s not hard to imagine. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was recently arrested for his company’s lack of moderation, with France trying to hold him personally responsible for Telegram’s failures. Elon Musk has already indicated that he may begin limiting his travel to countries where free speech is constitutionally guaranteed. Nonetheless, it’s not a stretch to believe that Musk and X may be looking to stave off the kind of legal action Telegram and Durov are facing by bolstering moderation.

Similarly, X recently sued the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), the World Federation of Advertisers, and a number of corporations, alleging illegally boycotted advertising on the platform as a result of corporations’ advertising appearing next to posts that included hate speech and other toxic content. It’s possible X may be trying to proactively address the complaints in an effort to bolster its court case.

Whatever the cause for X’s about face, improved security and moderation can only improve the platform’s situation.