GLAAD, the LBGTQ Media Advocacy Organization, has released its 5th Social Media Safety Index (SMSI). In the words of GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, the SMSI “continues to be the leading analysis of anti-LGBTQ online hate, harassment, and disinformation, with a year-round program dedicated to protecting safety, privacy, and expression for LGBTQ people online.” The full report paints a grim digital landscape. Across the board social media engagement for queer and trans individuals has become notably less safe. None of the six major platforms scored particularly well by any metric. Elon Musk-owned X scored the lowest, while Tik-Tok scored the highest. The report found that social media companies have capitulated to present political pressures and have recently amended many of their policies, resulting in increasingly negative experiences online for queer and trans people. There were also findings of overmoderation, mislabeling, and widespread suppression of LGBTQ content across the social media landscape. If you don’t have time to check out the full report, here’s a link to an article published by Them that summarizes some of the findings. This ain’t great news, y’all.
Safety for queer and trans folk on social media platforms continues to decline
