Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook along with other social media companies are told to make changes in their software and policies in order to avoid the online harassment, abuse, and other acts which are harmful to the users.
It can be especially harmful to the content makers and social media influencers, abundance of shame and hate comments, plagiarism, targeting and harming under the influence of gender racism, ethnic and religious minorities, race, region, etc.
PEN America, an international advocacy firm, released a report on the morning of Wednesday and addressed Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as other social media apps to make amendments in their product design to look over the online harassment issue.
In this era where freedom of expression exists, especially in gen z, where everybody has become a keyboard warrior and is about to make a revolution by posting hate speech and abusive comments for anyone who does not meet their respective standards.
Viktorya Vilk, PEN America’s digital safety director and one of the authors of the report, told that “Online abuse is a direct and pressing threat to free expression,”.
PEN America has interviewed a bunch of researchers, newsroom leaders, writers, representatives of technology companies, lawyers, and journalists, and some experts in online abuse and digital safety on the internet.
The requested layout for the companies includes an abusive content filter, which will separate the abusive messages into other folders. An SOS button with access to a hotline for people who experience excessive harassment and need the company’s support. A feature to immediately record and report the harassment and abuse trusted allies who can access accounts and help in case of harassment. No leniency for abusive and aggressive behavior.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were called in a recent hearing in a very serious and tense environment.
“You can’t just change and reform policy, you have to change and reform the product, too.” Said Viktorya Vilk.
Although many social media apps are trying to make anti-harassment policies, but these are not enough to make users feel safe and stop such a large mass of hateful people.
Read next: How behavior of people from different generations are impacted by smartphones
It can be especially harmful to the content makers and social media influencers, abundance of shame and hate comments, plagiarism, targeting and harming under the influence of gender racism, ethnic and religious minorities, race, region, etc.
PEN America, an international advocacy firm, released a report on the morning of Wednesday and addressed Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as other social media apps to make amendments in their product design to look over the online harassment issue.
In this era where freedom of expression exists, especially in gen z, where everybody has become a keyboard warrior and is about to make a revolution by posting hate speech and abusive comments for anyone who does not meet their respective standards.
Viktorya Vilk, PEN America’s digital safety director and one of the authors of the report, told that “Online abuse is a direct and pressing threat to free expression,”.
PEN America has interviewed a bunch of researchers, newsroom leaders, writers, representatives of technology companies, lawyers, and journalists, and some experts in online abuse and digital safety on the internet.
The requested layout for the companies includes an abusive content filter, which will separate the abusive messages into other folders. An SOS button with access to a hotline for people who experience excessive harassment and need the company’s support. A feature to immediately record and report the harassment and abuse trusted allies who can access accounts and help in case of harassment. No leniency for abusive and aggressive behavior.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were called in a recent hearing in a very serious and tense environment.
“You can’t just change and reform policy, you have to change and reform the product, too.” Said Viktorya Vilk.
Although many social media apps are trying to make anti-harassment policies, but these are not enough to make users feel safe and stop such a large mass of hateful people.
Read next: How behavior of people from different generations are impacted by smartphones
