How do I choose a trust & safety outsourcing partner?

Start with proof, because the marketing all sounds the same

Every provider in this segment now claims AI-powered moderation, human expertise, and global scale. The words have stopped carrying information. What separates real partners from claims is published evidence, and there are four kinds worth demanding.

• AI in production. A platform with a name, automation rates a client would recognize, and accuracy figures. A partner running 85% automation at a named marketplace is a different company from one with an AI page on its website.
• Named clients. Logos with permission, case studies with the client identified, references you can call. Anonymous case studies are a warning sign in a segment where the work is this sensitive.
• Results with numbers. Accuracy, turnaround, appeal overturn rates, policy coverage. If a provider measures the work, they can show you the measurements.
• Moderator care you can verify. Wellness programs with named clinical partners, exposure limits, rotation policies. The provider that treats this as a cost is the provider whose quality collapses first, because attrition in moderation destroys accuracy.

Then weigh the fit questions

Once a provider clears the proof bar, the remaining questions are about you. Which content types and languages you need covered. Whether your risk profile needs a specialist or a generalist with a T&S practice. How regulation in your markets, from the DSA to child-safety rules, shapes the audit trail you will need from a partner. A provider who asks about your regulatory exposure before quoting a price is a good sign.

Where to start a shortlist

We publish The IPO Trust & Safety 10, an evidence-ranked list of independent providers built on exactly the proof standard above. We started with 52 companies and asked the same question of each: can you prove it? Ten cleared the bar. Each entry states what the evidence is, so you can check our work.

No company paid to be on that list, and no company can. Use it as a starting shortlist, then run the proof questions above against your specific content types.