Social media sites—particularly Facebook and YouTube—have been under intense pressure to monitor and delete offensive, pornographic, and incendiary posts. Compassionately portraying the Filipino workers who comb through thousands of online images in the dark of night, The Cleaners exposes the dark side of information technology.

“The influence of social media is more pervasive and pernicious than anything George Orwell could have imagined. The Cleaners offers an intelligent, thought-provoking insight into the global impact of the major social media companies through the testimony of five content moderators responsible for monitoring what is considered legal, decent, and acceptable. It is the starting point for a wide-ranging examination of complex issues surrounding freedom of speech, censorship, and corporate responsibility.”—Allan Hunter, Screen Daily