To reduce online abuse, social media platforms must overhaul a flawed system
Meedan and PEN America recommend product design fixes to reduce online abuse while safeguarding free expression
Hey Checklisters,
For people facing threats, slurs, doxing, and other abusive tactics on social media platforms, reporting that content is one of the only means of defending themselves, protecting their community, and seeking accountability. For platforms, user reporting is a critical part of the larger content moderation process. And yet, when we asked writers, journalists, and creators about their experiences reporting hate and harassment online, we heard again and again about the deep frustration, exasperation, and harm caused by the very mechanisms that are meant to provide reprieve.
Informed by nearly two dozen interviews and an extensive analysis of existing reporting flows on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok, our new report with PEN America, Shouting into the Void, maps out concrete, actionable recommendations for how social media companies can revamp reporting to make it more user-friendly, more effective, and less traumatizing.
You can find the full investigation here. We hope you’ll share it with your networks—you can find our social media toolkit here. Join us in calling on social media platforms to revamp reporting to create safer, more inclusive, and more equitable online spaces for public discourse.
We warmly welcome your thoughts and feedback, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
Here are a couple of other things to keep on your radar as you head into the weekend:
The Games and Online Harassment Hotline released a new Digital Safety Guide! It’s for anyone, but especially designed for women, Black, indigenous, and people of color, trans people, and everyone whose existing oppressions are made worse by digital violence.
It’s not too late to vote for Meedan at Global Fact 10. We were nominated for Most Innovative Collaboration with five newsrooms for our efforts to debunk WhatsApp misinformation during the Brazil presidential election. Vote for us here! Polls close June 29th.
Check out our conversation with The New Humanitarian about AI and the humanitarian sector. What do you think: Is AI hype or hope?
That’s all for today folks — we hope you have a good rest of your week.