Just out from the Center for Countering Digital Hate is a new report “Abusing Women in Politics.” The report alleges that social media companies like Instagram enable the spread of online hate and disinformation against women politicians. KSFR’s Mary Lou Cooper interviewed the Center’s CEO Imran Ahmed about the study. The Center is based in the U.S. and U.K.
The Center collected 560,000 comments posted on Instagram against 10 congressional women—5 Democrats, including Sen. Kamala Harris, and 5 Republicans. One in 25 comments, more than 20,000, was identified as likely “toxic” by a Google AI tool. Researchers then looked at 1000 of the worst comments—which used sexist and racist terms, made death and rape threats and more. When these comments were presented to Instagram, the platform allowed 93% of them to remain on its site. Per Ahmed, the motive is profit and no social media platform is good at removing hate speech against women in politics.
In terms of solutions, Ahmed suggests that social media platforms should enforce their own internal rules against on-line hate. Funding of non-profits which help women handle on-line violence is another way to help solve the problem. And finally, the Center supports amending a 1996 federal communications law so that social media platforms are held accountable for hate speech.
KSFR reached out to Instagram for its reaction to the report “Abusing Women in Politics.” At press time, no response had been received.
To read the full report, click on: Abusing women in politics — Center for Countering Digital Hate | CCDH (counterhate.com)
