A recently published report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) highlights this worrying phenomenon.
The hidden epidemic: online hatred against women goes unrecognized
Online platforms such as YouTube, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram struggle to effectively detect and moderate hate speech. The FRA report shows that these platforms are often unable to identify offensive comments, harassment and threats of violence. This failure has far-reaching consequences – not only for women, but also for other minority groups such as people of African descent, Roma and Jews.
Inadequate reporting systems: An analysis
The study, carried out in four EU countries, shows an alarming discrepancy: in Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and Sweden, the number of hate posts against women was almost three times as high as the number of hate posts against people of African descent. The FRA analyzed nearly 350,000 posts and comments and found that more than 53 percent of posts deemed harmless by automated systems were still classified as hate speech by human moderators.
No clear picture: obstacles to research
Another problem highlighted by the report is the lack of research access to the data from the platforms' moderation systems. This lack of transparency makes it difficult to understand the true extent of online hate and develop effective countermeasures.
Referee team required
In view of the shocking results, the FRA is calling for the establishment of an arbitration team. These independent organizations are intended to act as trustworthy reporters to reliably identify and combat hate online. The EU Commission is called upon to support these organizations financially.
Investigations against technology giants
The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires major technology platforms and search engines to take stronger action against hate speech and illegal content. The European Commission is currently investigating whether companies such as Meta, TikTok and
Conclusion
This report highlights the profound flaws in online platforms' moderation systems and highlights how women and minority groups serve as prime targets for online hate. The need for a coordinated and effective approach to combat this phenomenon is more urgent than ever. The EU and its Member States, together with online platforms, must step up their efforts to create a safe digital space for everyone.
Source: the standard
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )