GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) published annual report Social Media Safety Index (SMSI), which assesses the safety of popular social media platforms for the LGBT community. As in previous years, The platform X, owned by Elon Musk, posted the worst results (formerly Twitter).
Table of Contents
What kind of report is this?
GLAAD analyzes the policies and actions of major tech companies (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, and TikTok) based on several key metrics. These include content moderation, privacy protection, operational transparency, and the presence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Each platform is rated on a 100-point scale.
What were the main results for 2026?
The situation in the social media market remains alarming. According to the report, None of the platforms received a "passing" score (above 67).
- X (Twitter): I typed a total of 29 out of 100 points. The platform has consistently ranked at the bottom of the list since 2021 (with the exception of 2022, when it briefly surpassed TikTok).
- YouTube: The video hosting service's rating dropped by 11 points compared to last year—this is the sharpest drop among all participants.
- TikTok: It became the only platform whose rating did not decline over the course of the year, though it remains low— 56 points.
- Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads): The report criticizes Meta for revising its policy on hate speech and for insufficiently effective moderation.
Why are grades dropping?
Human rights activists note that the modern digital environment is “rife” with hatred toward the LGBT community, persecution, and misinformation.
One of the main reasons for the drop in scores was a widespread shift away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies among companies.
GLAAD Executive Director Sarah Kate Ellis stated that technology leaders have all the tools they need to address the issues of harassment and misinformation, but "prefer to profit from them", rather than prioritizing the safety of marginalized communities.
What does this mean for users?
Systemic failures in moderation mean that threats in private messages and harassment in comments have become “part of the job” for many LGBTQ+ creators. GLAAD emphasizes that such online aggression is directly linked to real-world violence and the promotion of discriminatory laws. The organization has called on advertisers to consider whether they should support platforms that ignore basic safety standards for their users.
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