GLAAD Reports Major Social Media Platforms Fail LGBTQ Safety Standards

GLAAD's 2025 Social Media Safety Index highlights widespread failures among major platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Meta's Facebook and Threads, Google's YouTube, and Elon Musk's X to protect LGBTQ+ users from hate speech, harassment, and online abuse. The report condemns recent policy rollbacks, particularly by Meta and YouTube, which have removed or weakened protections, such as allowing users to call LGBTQ+ people “mentally ill” and removing “gender identity and expression” from hate speech policies. X scored the lowest on the index, while TikTok received the highest, though all platforms failed to meet basic safety standards. GLAAD's findings reveal that these rollbacks coincide with an increase in real-world violence against LGBTQ+ individuals, and platforms are accused of profiting from the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ hate. The report also documents instances of wrongful content moderation against LGBTQ+ expression, including account removals and shadowbanning. GLAAD calls for urgent reforms, including explicit hate speech prohibitions that protect gender identity and expression to ensure safer, more inclusive online environments.