Content moderation issues on social media are evolving

Significance

The fast pace of technological innovation, and the growing scale of user content, have made content moderation on social media increasingly difficult. Types of content under scrutiny include hate speech, misinformation and terrorist content, and an ever-expanding list of harmful online content.

Impacts

• Better moderation on big platforms will drive more harmful content to smaller platforms, and linking of content between the two will rise.
• Growing use of AI filters will increase false-positives and removal of legitimate content, triggering civil society criticism.
• Extremist groups will produce content just below the threshold of removal, with a view to enticing users to unmoderated online spaces.
• A broader range of online platforms such as podcast hosting platforms and e-commerce sites will need to prepare for content moderation.