As the 2024 elections approach, experts warn that top social media firms have rolled back vital safety policies and laid off moderation staff, creating a “a toxic online environment” vulnerable to exploitation that threatens democracy.
A new study from the non-profit media watchdog Free Press documented 17 major platform policies affecting online content integrity that have been rolled back in the past year at Alphabet, Meta and Twitter/X. It also cited more than 40,000 layoffs at these companies as a threat to the health and safety of their platforms.
