Twitter is the most deficient among all major social media platforms when it comes to safeguarding LGBTQ users, particularly those who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming, according to GLAAD.
Twitter is regarded as the most deficient among all major social media platforms when it comes to safeguarding LGBTQ users, particularly those who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming, according to GLAAD, an advocacy organization. The group stated that all of these platforms struggle to effectively counter hate speech and harassment, but Twitter fares the worst.
The advocacy group’s evaluation labelled Twitter as “the most hazardous platform for LGBTQ individuals,” and it was the only platform that experienced a decline in its scores compared to the previous year. It is worth mentioning that Twitter was acquired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in October last year.
Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the company’s communications staff was completely eliminated. Consequently, for several months, attempts to contact the press office have received only automated responses consisting of a poop emoji. This was the case when The Associated Press sought comment from the company.
Advocates for LGBTQ rights have consistently cautioned about the potential for online hate and harassment to escalate into real-life violence. However, even in cases where physical violence does not occur, the effects of online abuse on an individual’s mental well-being should not be underestimated.
GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis highlighted the distressing frequency of doxxing incidents within the LGBTQ community, necessitating their intervention to mitigate the hate, vitriol, and attacks. Doxxing is a malicious act involving the unauthorized disclosure of private or identifying information online, often with the intention to harass, threaten, shame, or seek retribution. Ellis expressed concern over the unprecedented escalation of such incidents, reaching levels previously unseen.
Advocacy groups report a significant surge in attacks targeting LGBTQ users on Twitter following Elon Musk’s assumption of control over the company in the previous autumn. This increase can be attributed, in large part, to the extensive reduction in staff that Musk implemented after taking over. The diminished number of content moderators has resulted in an overwhelmed system unable to effectively address the abundance of problematic tweets, encompassing hate speech, explicit content, and harassment. Musk’s self-proclaimed stance as a “free-speech absolutist” has further contributed to this situation, as he deemed Twitter’s prior policies excessively limiting.
In April, Twitter discreetly eliminated a policy that prohibited the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,” causing apprehension regarding the diminishing safety of marginalized communities on the platform.
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