American Sweatshop: A Q&A with film producer Jason Sosnoff
“[This movie] is such a topical conversation because we all interact with these platforms. We all see content that we’re not really meant to see… and I can’t tell you how many people I’ve spoken to in the making of this movie and just in life in general where they were exposed to something totally inappropriate at way too young of an age.” producer Jason Sosnoff told our Head of Communications and Outreach Jonathan Freed in a fascinating conversation about the new psychological thriller starring actress Lili Reinhart, American Sweatshop.
American Sweatshop is a fictional story that explores digital safety, online harms and the hidden world of social media content moderation. In the movie, a content moderator, played by Lili Reinhart, is removing offensive media from the internet when she watches a crime unfold. The movie then explores her obsessive journey for accountability for the crime she witnessed online.
In the interview, Jason and Jonathan discussed the overwhelming presence of harmful content online- and how algorithms make it nearly impossible for users (especially kids) to navigate the internet safely.
“I don’t have time to police what my kids are watching. The burden shouldn’t be on the parents, it should be on the companies.”
Jason hopes the film will inspire people to stop sharing problematic content online, and make the internet a safer and more intentional place. He pointed out in the interview that this topic of content moderation and who should be protecting users online continues to be an important and relevant conversation.
“…when we started developing [the film], it was five years ago and it felt like the right time. And then you know, two years ago, it still felt like the right time. And we filmed about a year ago. And it felt like the right time. And now it’s coming out in a week. And it feels like the right time.”
Check out the full interview here:
And be sure to watch American Sweatshop available on Apple and Amazon now.