Instagram Criticized for Hate Speech Enforcement

A report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) revealed that Instagram has failed to remove 93% of abusive comments targeting female politicians, despite these comments clearly violating the platform's guidelines. The study analyzed over half a million comments on posts by ten high-profile female politicians from both major U.S. parties, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Elizabeth Warren. CCDH found over 20,000 toxic comments, with many containing sexist and racist abuse, death, and rape threats. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, acknowledged the report but insisted that not all offensive comments violate their rules. The persistent online abuse of female politicians underscores the broader issue of social media platforms' failure to enforce community guidelines effectively, potentially deterring women from participating in politics.