Call for tech companies to include misogynoir protections as study shows widespread evidence of online harms
New analysis of social media posts shared exclusively with Cosmopolitan UK has shed light on the prevalence of misogynoir – sexism directed at Black women – across multiple platforms.
The research, which forms part of the Digital Misogynoir Report by Glitch, a charity dedicated to ending online abuse, will be released this week as part of their longer-term goal to have women and girls named and protected in the Online Safety Bill.
Analysing almost one million social media posts across five platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, 4plebs (4chan) and Gab), the analysis found that almost 20% of posts were "highly toxic", which equates to over 1,000 posts each day.
Glitch found that there were over 9,000 more highly toxic posts about Black women than about white women, and that digital misogynoir underpins hateful narratives like antisemitism and white supremacy.
They found dehumanising language and stereotypes such as the "angry Black woman" as well as fatphobia to be prevalent in the posts analysed. The charity says the research shows the "alarming prevalence of digital misogynoir."
The analysis was conducted alongside Textgain, an AI company that uses automated tools to detect hate speech. Glitch is now pressuring tech companies to include the issue in their safeguarding policies.
Misogynoir is a term that was first coined by Dr. Moya Bailey in 2010. It refers to the combination of misogyny and racism experienced by Black women, with Bailey defining it as "particular venom directed at Black women through negative representations in Media."
In terms of the online world, the phrase digital misogynoir has come into play over the last few years. It details the "continued, unchecked, and often violent dehumanisation of Black women on social media, as well as through other forms such as algorithmic discrimination,” says the charity.
"These findings demonstrate the failure of both alternative platforms and established social media giants to effectively moderate racist and sexist hate speech," Glitch adds.
As well as calling for tech companies to take immediate action against online gender-based violence, Glitch is continuing to pressure the government to implement a public health approach to addressing online gender-based violence, specifically via the inclusion of a Women and Girls Code of Practice in the Online Safety Bill, which is still making its way through parliament.
Speaking to Cosmo UK, founder and CEO of Glitch Seyi Akiwowo said: "There has been a growing tolerance of dehumanising language towards Black women and an underestimation of the link between online abuse and offline violence. Black women understand this connection intimately."
She continues: "Despite the glimpses of hope during the Black Lives Matter uprisings of 2020 – that our experiences of racism, sexism and discrimination would finally be taken seriously – this report reveals that at best complacency and at worst ignorance have enabled the continued proliferation of digital misogynoir, an insidious form of prejudice that plagues our online spaces and demands our immediate attention."
Akiwowo says their research shows how the insidiousness of misogynoir is often missed in content moderation by tech platforms.
"Tech companies must take responsibility for the ways their 'build first, think later' approach actively harms Black women – online and offline," she says.
"I hope this report serves as an evidence tool so that Black women do not have to relive trauma or be at risk of re-traumatising themselves, in order to be heard. We have done some very heavy lifting with this report. Will tech companies, governments and digital citizens meet us in our commitment to end online abuse, once and for all?"
Despite the high rates of digital misogynoir, Glitch’s research also found that there is also a wealth of positive content from Black online communities.
"We also see the power and joy of Black online communities in how social media is used to challenge abuse and celebrate Black women in the relatively high rates of positive content about Black women."
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