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 |
August 2023 | ||
| ADL is urging Meta’s Oversight Board to take action to improve addressing Holocaust denial and distortion. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductHateMisinformation |
| 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 |
| Meta is rejecting a recommendation from its Oversight Board to suspend the account of Cambodia's former Prime Minister. Read more | CambodiaMeta | ProductViolence |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| TikTok is announcing that its EU users will be able to switch off its content-selection algorithm to comply with the DSA. Read more | EUTikTok | Product |
| 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 |
| TikTok is expanding access to its research API to Europe and is launching an ads transparency library to comply with the DSA. Read more | EUTikTok | Product |
| 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 launching a new feature enabling parents to filter out videos they don't want their children to see. Read more | WorldTikTok | ProductChild Safety |
| TikTok is developing a youth council to build safety tools that are more effective for teenagers. 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 |
May 2023 | ||
| Twitter is launching Community Notes for images in posts to address misleading images and emphasize crowdsourced moderation. Read more | WorldTwitter | ProductMisinformation |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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 |
| Meta's oversight board is uphelding an April 2022 decision allowing users in Sri Lanka to solicit drugs on Facebook to fight an ongoing medical supply crisis. Read more | Sri LankaMeta | ProductSubstances |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Wisconsin is joining other states requesting court order for TikTok to comply with investigation into its communication practices. Read more | USTikTok | ProductChild SafetyPrivacy |
| 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 |
| Amazon Prime Video is signing an agreement with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to produce age ratings for content. Read more | UKAmazon | ProductChild Safety |
| 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 | ||
| Signal is threatening to shut down in the UK if the Online Safety Bill forces the platform to violate users privacy. Read more | UKSignal | ProductPrivacy |
| Meta is reforming its penalty system "Facebook Jail", saying users will now be receiving a warning first for most violations. Read more | WorldMeta | Product |
| TikTok is announcing the creation of new European data centers to stay in compliance with EU DSA rules. Read more | EUTikTok | ProductPrivacy |
| 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 |
| Google is expanding its misinformation "prebunking" initiative to Germany. Read more | GermanyGoogle | ProductMisinformation |
| 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 opening transparency and accountability centers to visitors. Read more | WorldTikTok | Product |
| TikTok is rolling out a revamped account enforcement system, including a new strike system and features dealing with recommendations. 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 |
| Rights groups are asking Meta to improve content moderation in Africa after its main outsourcing partner stopped providing services. Read more | AfricaMeta | Product |
| 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 |
| 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 announcing the removal of the Ukrainian far-right military group Azov Regiment from its list of dangerous individuals and organizations. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductExtremism |
| 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 |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 |
| Instagram is rolling out age verification using Yoti, a platform conducting facial feature analysis to estimate a user's age, but dropping social vouching. Read more | UKMeta | ProductChild Safety |
October 2022 | ||
| 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 |
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 |
| Instagram is developing a feature protecting users from receiving unsolicited nude photos. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductAdult |
| Facebook is experimenting with asking 250 users to help moderate climate speech. Read more | WorldMeta | ProductMisinformation |
| 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 |
See missing items? You can add them here.
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