LGBTQ Social Media Users' Safety Is So Bad That GLAAD Changed the Way It Reviews Apps for a ‘More Complete Picture'
GLAAD issued its 'alarming' Social Media Safety Index report on Tuesday, which found that, after significant rollbacks in protected speech, social media platforms are overwhelmingly failing to protect LGBTQ people.
The year-to-year decline is so sharp in the study, now in its fifth year, that the nonprofit advocacy group ditched its previous letter-grade system for a numeric one to more accurately reflect how negative platforms including X, Facebook and YouTube can be for the queer community, Jenni Olson, senior director of social media at GLAAD, told TheWrap.
'It became clear that the letter grades system wasn't fully reflecting the levels the platforms were at since they all would have just gotten F grades. The numeric ratings give a more complete picture,' Olson explained.
In 2024, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads and X all received a grade of F, while TikTok earned only a slightly better D+: For 2025, the platforms were rated numerically, with TikTok at 56/100; Facebook: 45/100; Instagram: 45/100; YouTube: 41/100; Threads: 40/100; and X the lowest at 30/100.
'The terrible rollbacks from Meta and YouTube are the most important news this year,' Olson said, referring to both company's recent decisions to allow previously prohibited hate speech, such as references to LGBTQ people being 'abnormal' and 'mentally ill' as well as the use of pejorative terms such as 'tranny' and 'transgenderism.'
'It is especially horrible that YouTube removed gender identity from its list of protected characteristics — and yet is continuing to state that the policy hasn't changed, when it very clearly has … This is just unprecedented for a major platform. It is extremely concerning for a company to remove a protected characteristic group from a hate speech policy,' Olson said.
'At a time when real-world violence and harassment against LGBTQ people is on the rise, social media companies are profiting from the flames of anti-LGBTQ hate instead of ensuring the basic safety of LGBTQ users,' GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement shared with TheWrap.
'These low scores should terrify anyone who cares about creating safer, more inclusive online spaces,' she added.
Trans activist and journalist Imara Jones recently told TheWrap that X (formerly known as Twitter) is 'the most dangerous platform,' while the relatively new Bluesky, which was not included in GLAAD's report, is 'definitely much better' in moderating anti-trans speech.
According to the report, online anti-trans hate, harassment and disinformation have skyrocketed in the past year, while some platforms 'disproportionately suppress LGBTQ content, via removal, demonetization and forms of shadowbanning.'
The report analyzed 14 indicators affecting LGBTQ people online, including data privacy, moderation transparency, training of content moderators and workforce diversity. It was created in partnership with Ranking Digital Rights (RDR) and research consultant Andrea Hackl.
Read the full GLAAD Social Media Safety Index report here.
The post LGBTQ Social Media Users' Safety Is So Bad That GLAAD Changed the Way It Reviews Apps for a 'More Complete Picture' appeared first on TheWrap.
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