Content Moderation / Knowledge Center / Guide
Trust & Safety changelog
Stay on top of the latest changes affecting your Trust & Safety operations.
This changelog is crowdsourced, feel free to suggest missing items.
Adult contentChild SafetyExtremismHarassmentHateMisinformationPrivacySelf-HarmSubstancesViolence
September 2023 | ||
| The Mental Health Coalition is launching the Safe Online Standards for Kids' Mental Health (S.O.S) initiative to create a rating system across platforms. Read more | World | ProductChild Safety |
| Meta's Oversight Board is urging the platform to improve the distinction between hate speech and criticism of hate speech. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductHate |
| Snapchat is announcing new safety features such as In-app Warnings to protect teens from potential online risks. Read more | WorldSnapchat | ProductChild Safety |
| Malaysia is considering new regulations that will make Google and Meta compensate news outlets for content sourced from them. Read more | MalaysiaGoogleMeta | Regulatory |
August 2023 | ||
| Meta's Oversight Board is announcing Holocaust Denial as a new case for consideration, inviting people and organizations to submit public comments. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductHateMisinformation |
| ADL is urging Meta’s Oversight Board to take action to improve addressing Holocaust denial and distortion. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductHateMisinformation |
| Meta is revising its Adult Sexual Exploitation policy, permitting sharing of content involving non-consensual sexual touching if posted with the aim of raising awareness. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductAdult |
| Meta is rejecting a recommendation from its Oversight Board to suspend the account of Cambodia's former Prime Minister. Read more | CambodiaMeta | ProductViolence |
| New Zealand is planning to introduce a legislation for a digital services tax on large multinational companies from 2025. Read more | New Zealand | Regulatory |
| TikTok is agreeing to moderate content on its platform in Kenya. Read more | KenyaTikTok | Product |
| Snap is announcing that its users will soon be able to opt out of content personalization. Read more | WorldSnapchat | Product |
| Instagram's users users will now be able to access features without seeing content that's been ranked by Meta's recommendation algorithms. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| X is announcing it will remove a protective feature letting users block other accounts, except for direct messages. Read more | World | Product |
| Google is launching its new Transparency Center on which users can learn more about policies, reporting inappropriate content or appealing a ban. Read more | WorldGoogle | Product |
| YouTube is updating its policies to tackle medical misinformation and remove harmful cancer claims. Read more | WorldYouTube | ProductMisinformation |
| Meta's Oversight Board is urging the company to have stricter rules bannning gender-based violence. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductHate |
July 2023 | ||
| Seven big tech companies are agreeing to commit to new standards in security, trust and safety. Read more | World | Product |
| Singapore is introducing a new code of practice for social media platforms to ensure online safety. Read more | Singapore | RegulatoryChild SafetyViolence |
| Xbox is adding a reactive voice chat moderation, allowing players to capture and submit 60-second audio clips of inappropriate voice chat messages. Read more | WorldMicrosoft | Product |
| Discord is expanding its policies to address generative artificial intelligence that can create fake content and the sexualization of children. Read more | WorldDiscord | ProductChild Safety |
June 2023 | ||
| Meta's oversight board is urging Cambodian Prime Minister's suspension for six months for posting a video violating rules against violent threats. Read more | CambodiaMeta | ProductViolence |
| TikTok is developing a youth council to build safety tools that are more effective for teenagers. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
| TikTok is launching a new feature enabling parents to filter out videos they don't want their children to see. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
| Meta is rolling back its measures to curb the spread of Covid misinformation. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductMisinformation |
| Meta is implementing new updates requiring advertisers to designate the beneficiary and the payer for their ads. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) is releasing a database compiling more than 300 hate and far-right extremist symbols. Read more or even more | World | ProductExtremismHate |
| Apple is annoucing that a new feature will soon warn users when receiving unsolicited nudes. Read more | WorldApple | ProductAdult |
| YouTube is announcing it will no longer remove videos with false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Read more | WorldYouTube | ProductMisinformation |
| Meta shareholders are voting against an inquiry into allegations of political entanglement and content management biases. Read more | IndiaMeta | Regulatory |
May 2023 | ||
| Twitter is launching Community Notes for images in posts to address misleading images and emphasize crowdsourced moderation. Read more | WorldTwitter | ProductMisinformation |
| The EU is launching a Digital Transformation Centre to support Kenya's transition, promoting a human-centered digital economy. Read more | KenyaUE | Regulatory |
| Vietnam is planning to require Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users to verify their accounts Read more | VietnamMetaTikTokYouTube | Regulatory |
| Mozilla is launching a new Mastodon server to test content moderation that is different to other social media platforms, with no focus on free speech or ‘neutrality’. Read more | WorldMozilla | Product |
April 2023 | ||
| TikTok is changing its misinformation policy to ban all climate change denial content on its platform. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductMisinformation |
| Meta's Oversight Board is asking the social media company to keep its covid misinformation policy and to be more transparent when removing content. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductMisinformation |
| YouTube is updating its guidelines for eating disorder-related content, banning content including extreme calorie counting or purging after eating. Read more | WorldYouTube | ProductSelf-harm |
| Twitter is removing a policy prohibiting the targeted deadnaming or misgendering of transgender people from its moderation guidelines. Read more | WorldTwitter | ProductHate |
| Twitter is planning to add visible labels on tweets that have been identified as potentially violating its policies. Read more | WorldTwitter | Product |
| Brazil is introducing new social media restrictions over school violence content. Read more | Brazil | RegulatoryChild SafetyViolence |
| Vietnam is announcing it will start to investigate TikTok in May for harmful content. Read more | VietnamTikTok | Regulatory |
| India is prohibiting Facebook, Twitter and others from hosting misleading information about the government, requiring them to rely on their own fact-check unit. Read more | IndiaFacebookTwitter | RegulatoryMisinformation |
| Facebook is planning to roll out new policies making users able to have greater control over "demoted" and fact-checked content. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Snapchat is launching new tools to improve its AI chatbot, including an age filter ensuring it responds according to the user's age. Read more | WorldSnapchat | ProductChild Safety |
| Canada is examining a bill requiring sites showing sexually explicit material to have valid age verification for users. Read more | Canada | RegulatoryAdultChild Safety |
March 2023 | ||
| Twitter is opening some source code to public inspection, including the algorithm used to recommend tweets to users. Read more | WorldTwitter | Product |
| Meta is rolling out a new system to separate ads from harmful or controversial content. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Teleperformance is resuming its full-service content moderation services, including moderation of highly egregious content. Read more | WorldTeleperformance | Product |
| Yubo and the AFNOR Group are forming a working group to create a new safety standard on the prevention of risks and protection of minors on social networks. Read more or even more | WorldAFNORYubo | ProductChild Safety |
| TikTok is unveiling its updated community guidelines that will focus on improving content moderation on the platform and take effect on April 21st. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild SafetyMisinformation |
| Snapchat is publishing guidelines in its Family Center, detailing how content gets algorithmically recommended to minors. Read more | WorldSnapchat | ProductChild Safety |
| Meta is introducing a new way for users to authenticate their account with a missed call. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductPrivacy |
| UNESCO is launching a National Coalition on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Kenya. Read more | Kenya | RegulatoryHateMisinformation |
| Meta's oversight board is planning to scrutinize the social network’s policies surrounding election content in Brazil and other “high-risk” areas. Read more | BrazilMeta | ProductMisinformation |
| Meta's oversight board is reviewing the moderation of the Arabic word "shaheed", meaning "martyr" in English, the word associated with most content removals. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductExtremism |
| Whatsapp is agreeing to be more transparent on changes to its terms of service according to the European Commission. Read more or even more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Facebook is revamping its "cross-check" moderation system after facing criticism for applying different review processes for VIP vs regular users. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Twitter is now prohibiting "wishes of harm" in its new violent speech policy, banning users expressing desire for harm. Read more | WorldTwitter | ProductHateViolence |
| TikTok is setting a new default 60-minute daily screen time limit for minors. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
February 2023 | ||
| Singapore is examining a new Code of Practice seeking to remove harmful content from app stores. Read more | Singapore | RegulatoryAdultChild SafetyViolence |
| The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is launching a new short-code aiming at combating fake news. Read more | Nigeria | RegulatoryMisinformation |
| Meta is reforming its penalty system "Facebook Jail", saying users will now be receiving a warning first for most violations. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Australian e-safety commissioner is asking TikTok, Twitter and Google to hand over information on handling online child abuse. Read more or even more | AustraliaGoogleTikTokTwitter | RegulatoryChild Safety |
| Meta is launching Meta Verified in Australia and New Zealand, a new paid verification service. Read more | AustraliaNew ZealandMeta | Product |
| Meta's oversight board is announcing it will now review more types of content moderation cases and publish some decisions on an expedited basis. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Meta is rolling out a new version of its ad-matching tool, providing more information about how users activities are feeding ML models. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductPrivacy |
| Meta is launching new comment moderation tools allowing creators on Facebook to view moderation statistics and manage conversations. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| Google is introducing a blur feature helping users avoiding explicit images while using the search engine. Read more | WorldGoogle | ProductAdultViolence |
| TikTok is rolling out a revamped account enforcement system, including a new strike system and features dealing with recommendations. Read more | WorldTikTok | Product |
| TikTok is opening transparency and accountability centers to visitors. Read more | WorldTikTok | Product |
January 2023 | ||
| Twitter is planning to limit permanent suspensions of accounts breaking its rules, adding that any user will be able to appeal an account suspension. Read more | WorldTwitter | Product |
| Japan is creating a new agency to counter fake news and online disinformation. Read more | Japan | RegulatoryMisinformation |
| India is forming three Grievance Appellate Committees to oversee social media content moderation. Read more | India | Regulatory |
| The National Police Agency is adding murder, guns and explosives to contents that can be requested for removal by internet service providers in March. Read more | Japan | RegulatoryViolence |
| Tinder and WESNET are releasing a Dating Safety Guide including the ability to block abusive users, report offensive messages instantly and access to the Australian Safety Centre. Read more or even more | AustraliaTinder | Product |
| Meta's oversight board is announcing the removal of the Ukrainian far-right military group Azov Regiment from its list of dangerous individuals and organizations. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductExtremism |
| TikTok is launching its offline Safety Ambassadors Programme in Bangladesh as part of the #SaferTogether campaign to make the platform safer. Read more | BangladeshTikTok | Product |
| Meta's oversight board is sharing their decision to redefine Facebook and Instagram's community rules regarding nudity in a less discriminatory way. Read more or even more | WorldMeta | ProductAdult |
| The United Nation’s 2022 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is discussing internet fragmentation among democracies vs. driven by authoritarian states. Read more | World | Regulatory |
| TikTok is announcing creators are now able to restrict their videos to adult viewers. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
| Google is developing a free moderation tool for terrorist material identification and removal for smaller platforms. Read more | WorldGoogle | ProductExtremism |
December 2022 | ||
| In Thailand, a new law is forcing online service providers and social media platforms to take down content within 24 hours without a court order. Read more | Thailand | Regulatory |
| Meta is launching HMA, a new free tool helping platforms identify and remove violating content. Read more or even more | WorldMeta | ProductExtremism |
| Apple is cancelling its plan to scan photos stored in iCloud to detect CSAM. Read more | WorldApple | ProductChild Safety |
| Meta's oversight board is suggesting that Meta's cross check programme is more commercially driven than commited to human rights. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| TikTok and Bumble are joining Meta to stop revenge porn by blocking images from StopNCII.org's bank of hashes. Read more or even more | WorldTikTokBumbleMeta | ProductAdult |
November 2022 | ||
| Singapore is passing an Online Safety Bill requiring social media sites to block "harmful content" within hours. Read more | Singapore | Regulatory |
| Naver Z is introducing its Safety Advisory Council providing expertise on their policy and features. Read more or even more | WorldNaver | Product |
| Twitter is announcing its Covid misinformation policy is no longer enforced. Read more or even more | WorldTwitter | ProductMisinformation |
| Teleperformance is announcing it will no longer accept any new highly egregious content moderation work. Read more | WorldTeleperformance | Product |
| Australia, Fiji, Ireland and the UK are launching a Global Online Safety Regulators Network paving the way for a coherent international approach to online safety regulation. Read more | AustraliaFijiIrelandUK | Regulatory |
| Vietnam is tightening regulations regarding "false" content on social media platforms so that it is taken down within 24 hours instead of 48 hours. Read more | Vietnam | RegulatoryMisinformation |
October 2022 | ||
| The Indian government is forming a government panel to hear complaints from users about content moderation decisions by social media platforms. Read more | India | Regulatory |
| TikTok is introducing new and updated features and policies for its LIVE community. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
| Twitter is reviewing its policies around permanently banning users. Read more | WorldTwitter | Product |
| Spotify is acquiring Kinzen, a firm specialized in identifying harmul audio content. Read more | WorldSpotify | ProductHateMisinformation |
| Singapore is introducing a bill into Parliament to fight egregious and harmful online content. Read more | Singapore | RegulatoryAdultChild SafetyExtremismSelf-harm |
September 2022 | ||
| Tumblr is creating community labels allowing users to avoid seeing unwanted content. Read more | WorldTumblr | ProductAdultSubstancesViolence |
| Twitter is opening the Twitter Moderation Research Consortium (TMRC) to researchers. Read more | WorldTwitter | Product |
| Facebook is experimenting with asking 250 users to help moderate climate speech. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductMisinformation |
| Instagram is developing a feature protecting users from receiving unsolicited nude photos. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductAdult |
| YouTube is announcing updated content moderation policies to prohibit violent extremist content. Read more | WorldYouTube | ProductExtremism |
| Twitter is expanding its fact-checking feature Birdwatch, allowing users to add additional context to tweets. Read more | WorldTwitter | ProductMisinformation |
August 2022 | ||
| OpenAI is introducing a content moderation endpoint assessing whether the content is sexual, hateful or promoting self-harm. Read more | WorldOpenAI | ProductAdultHateSelf-harm |
| TikTok is said to be training its moderators to detect CSAM using graphic images and videos as a reference guide. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
| Indonesia is blocking access to various online platforms such as PayPal, Steam and Yahoo after they failed to comply with a regulatory deadline. Read more | Indonesia | Regulatory |
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