They are some of the most vulnerable internet users, with the majority of LGBTQ people saying they have encountered threatening posts or comments when browsing social media. However, it is not clear how social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube handle these threats. Instead of protecting their users, GLAAD says in the report, tech companies are shielding information about how they respond to these attacks, revealing few details about how often they take down posts or accounts that push hate speech or harass them. LGBTQ users. “The reality is that there is very little transparency and very little accountability,” said Jenni Olson, GLAAD’s director of social media safety and author of the report. “And people feel helpless.” Los Angeles resident Peter Sapinsky, a gay musician who said he has faced harassment in the online gaming community, shared screenshots with The Associated Press of dozens of messages he has sent on YouTube about users and videos using racist and homophobic slurs . YouTube has only responded to some of the messages, he said. Sapinsky, 29, said some are using YouTube to live-stream harassing people at Pride parades. They quickly delete these live videos once they’re done to avoid being identified by YouTube for violating its policies against hate speech, he said. He cited a number of homophobic slurs he has heard in videos posted by users who are still active on the site. “YouTube doesn’t do anything about it,” Sapinsky said. “For someone who says they don’t allow hate on the site, they sure do.” Hateful or violent speech directed at members of the LGBTQ community is prohibited on the platform, said YouTube spokesman Jack Malon. “In recent years, we’ve made significant progress in our ability to quickly remove hateful and harassing content,” Malon said. “This is a work in progress and we appreciate the thoughtful feedback from GLAAD.” A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement that the company was discussing the report’s findings with GLAAD. A statement from TikTok did not directly address the report, but said the company is working to create an “inclusive environment.” GLAAD recommended that the platforms begin publishing their training methods for content moderators, as well as the number of accounts and posts that companies remove for violating rules designed to protect LGBTQ users. GLAAD’s report examines the policies and actions that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter have implemented regarding LGBTQ issues. All social media platforms have outlined policies designed to prevent LGBTQ users from being harassed, threatened, or discriminated against by other users because of their identity. Twitter and TikTok also have specific policies against intentional misogyny, using the wrong pronoun to describe someone, for example, or name-calling, which involves reviving a transgender person’s name before the person transitions to a new one. ID card. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said it removes similar posts upon request. Some users bully LGBTQ people on social media by misgendering or outing them. One example came last month, when a conservative social media insider sent a swarm of Twitter users to harass transgender actor Elliott Page with the wrong pronoun and name. This Twitter user has been suspended under the company’s hateful conduct policy. “The idea that these elements with millions of followers are bullying and harassing trans people because they’re trans is just wrong,” Olson said.
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This story has been corrected to show that TikTok, not just Twitter, also has a policy against intentional misgendering.
