“and were not allowed to turn down the assignment.”
LIE!
they could have quit and found other work. I highly doubt microsoft forced them to work against their will never letting them stop. They chose to show up for work each day. They chose the job each and every day.
I agree. . . they probably thought it was going to be "cool" to be paid to look at porn all day. They didn't realize how truly mind numbing it would be and then they found out it was also degrading. . . and then the ennui.