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5 min read T&S Insider

Is ‘trust’ the new frontier in T&S?

Online marketplaces are less worried about speech — they’re focused on fraud, identity, and authenticity. At Marketplace Risk in New York, we saw a glimpse of T&S’s next big shift.

I'm Alice Hunsberger. Trust & Safety Insider is my weekly rundown on the topics, industry trends and workplace strategies that Trust & Safety professionals need to know about to do their job.

This week, I'm reflecting on Marketplace Risk NYC, where I got a "welcome note" from the New York Fire Department that said they'd shut down the hotel I was supposed to stay at! I also ate so many noodles, saw a bunch of friends, and learned that I talk with my hands way more than I thought I did.

Alice Hunsberger speaking on a panel at Marketplace Risk New York
Speaking with my hands during our panel discussion

Get in touch if you'd like your questions answered or just want to share your feedback. Here we go! — Alice

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Trust takes centre stage

Why this matters: Right now, marketplace T&S feels safely removed from the political chaos of social platforms. But as identity verification becomes universal, these "boring" fraud tools may eventually collide with the same privacy and safety debates that make social media T&S so fraught.

I’ll be honest: right now my head is absolutely spinning with anxiety about the state of the US. I feel a bit like I’m in a funhouse mirror where many on the political right have flipped their script on free speech and content moderation.

I’m worried about the future of Trust & Safety — the profession that I've worked in for years and which I love — and how the role of content moderation may shift further away from protecting marginalised people and more towards silencing them.

I’m worried about doxxing and authoritarianism people self-censoring more in the US. I’m worried about the safety and mental health of my loved ones who are trans. I’m worried about gun violence in all its forms.

But not everyone is as worried.

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Published by:

Alice Hunsberger

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