GLAAD's 2025 Social Media Safety Index reveals that LGBTQ+ users face increasing dangers on social media platforms, especially those owned by Meta and Google. Every platform evaluated, including TikTok and YouTube, received failing scores, highlighting a trend of declining protections for LGBTQ individuals, particularly affecting transgender and nonbinary users. Significant policies undermined by these platforms include Meta allowing harmful characterizations of LGBTQ+ people and YouTube's removal of protections for gender identity. The report indicates a concerning rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hate unchecked by social media companies.
At a time when real-world violence and harassment against LGBTQ+ people is on the rise, social media companies are profiting from the flames of anti-LGBTQ+ hate instead of ensuring the basic safety of LGBTQ+ users.
These low scores should terrify anyone who cares about creating safer, more inclusive online spaces.
Meta's overhaul of its "Hateful Conduct" policy to permit users to characterize LGBTQ+ people as mentally ill echoes political and religious attacks aimed squarely at the trans community.
YouTube's removal of 'gender identity and expression' from its hate speech policy leaves trans users vulnerable to targeted abuse.
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