New Report Finds Increase in Harmful Content on Meta Platforms in the Wake of Hate Speech Policy Rollbacks

For Immediate Release: June 16, 2025

New Report Finds Increase in Harmful Content on Meta Platforms in the Wake of Hate Speech Policy Rollbacks

As first reported by 404 Media, a new report makes clear that Meta’s gutting of hate speech rules has emboldened bad actors and driven vulnerable users to self-censor

Today, a coalition of nonprofits — UltraViolet, All Out, and GLAAD — launched a new report and companion site, makemetasafe.org, that reveals adverse impacts of Meta’s U.S. fact-checking shutdown and hate speech policy rollbacks. Based on a survey of 7,000 active users across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads (primarily women and LGBTQ people), key findings include:

1 in 6 respondents report being the victim of some form of gender-based or sexual violence on Meta platforms.
92% are concerned about harmful content increasing since the rollbacks.
72% see more hate targeting protected groups.
92% feel less protected from being exposed to or targeted by harmful content.
Over 25% say they have been targeted directly with hate or harassment.
66% have witnessed harmful content in their feeds.
77% feel less safe expressing themselves freely on Meta platforms.

“In 2025, the vast majority of people’s lives are deeply intertwined with the digital world. Social media is not just a place we ‘go’ anymore. It’s a place we live, work, and play,” said Jenna Sherman, campaign director at UltraViolet. “That’s why it’s more crucial than ever to ensure that all people can safely access these spaces and freely express themselves without fear of retribution. But after helping to set a standard for content moderation online for nearly a decade, Mark Zuckerberg decided to move his company backwards, abandoning vulnerable users in the process. Facebook and Instagram already had an equity problem. Now, it’s out of control.”

The report’s findings offer stark evidence that harmful content has increased since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced sweeping changes—what some have called a “MAGA makeover”—to its existing policies on January 7, 2025, just ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. This shift included an end to Meta’s third-party fact-checking system in the U.S., and wide-ranging changes to the company’s hate speech policy globally that include more allowances for hate and harassment targeting historically marginalized groups, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and others, who already face disproportionate levels of abuse online.

“Meta’s policy rollbacks are rippling across the globe – but the heaviest toll will fall on those already at risk,” said Ana Clara Toledo, Senior Campaign Manager at All Out. “In Latin America, where violence against LGBT+ people and women is alarmingly high, these changes remove a crucial layer of digital protection. With Meta turning a blind eye, the line between online hate and real-world violence is not just blurred – it’s vanishing.”

In addition to evidence of increased harmful content, the survey also found high rates of self-censorship among users, a finding that runs counter to Meta’s claims of mitigating censorship and expanding freedom of expression through the rollbacks.

Justin Lessner, Campaigns Manager at All Out, said that “Maybe the most chilling part of this survey is what it tells us about silence. People are holding back, censoring themselves, afraid to speak out. That’s not freedom of expression. That’s fear.”

The report concludes by urging Meta to hire an independent third party to formally assess the impact of its policy changes on harmful content—centering user experiences—and to urgently reinstate protections and widespread content moderation. Users deserve online spaces where they can feel safe and thrive. They cannot do that when continually targeted with hate and harassment on the basis of who they are. To bring these demands to the public, the three organizations launched two petitions (here and here) with a broader coalition targeting Meta, and have already collected over 136,000 signatures.

“Meta’s decision to gut its hate speech policy and fact-checking program has had immediate, devastating consequences for LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities,” stated Leanna Garfield, Senior Manager, GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Program. “This new data confirms what GLAAD and others have warned for months: that Meta’s platforms are becoming increasingly hostile and unsafe. LGBTQ people, especially trans and gender nonconforming people, are reporting more targeted hate, less freedom to express themselves, and direct experiences of real-world harm as a result. By allowing harmful content to spread unchecked, Meta isn’t just abandoning its responsibility to protect users — it’s actively normalizing a culture of hatred and dehumanization. Meta has not only turned its back on its own community standards — it has turned its back on the very people those standards were meant to protect.”

To read the full report, access key findings, and learn more about the campaign, please visit makemetasafe.org.

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weareultraviolet.org, GLAAD.org, AllOut.org

UltraViolet Education Fund is a women-led gender justice 501c3 organization, with an online community of more than 1 million members nationwide. We combine organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to win real-world changes for women and gender expansive people.

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.

All Out is a global movement for love and equality. We are mobilizing thousands of people to build a world where no person will have to sacrifice their family or freedom, safety or dignity, because of who they are or who they love.