A new report from GLAAD shows that social media is potentially getting more dangerous for the LGBTQ+ community. The recent GLAAD 2025 Social Media Safety Index (SMSI) revealed that social platforms including X, TikTok and Instagram have implemented rollbacks in their safety policies.
Them reports, both Meta and YouTube have rolled back hate speech policies regarding the LGBTQ+ community in their community guidelines. In January, Meta’s hate speech policy update sparked backlash after it confirmed users’ ability to bully members of the LGBTQ+ community, allowing them to refer to members of the community as “abnormal” or “mentally ill.” Also around that time, the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the company would implement a “community notes” system, after claiming the platform’s fact-checking team was “too politically biased.”
At the beginning of the year, YouTube slashed “gender identity and expression” from its list of discrimination protections. Scarier yet is that a majority of CEOs behind major social media platforms and tech giant including Zuckerberg, Elon Musk of X, Sundar Pichai of Google, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple all attended Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January and all were seated together in a box like they were observing a sports match.
GLAAD makes a point to call out the obvious alignment between recent policy changes at tech giants and Donald Trump’s presidential agenda, which has taken aim for LGBTQ+ people from its earliest days. The report continues to rate major social media platforms based on 14 LGBTQ- center indicators related to safety, privacy, and free expression.
Of those scored, TikTok received the highest score: 50 out of 100 points. TikTok currently prohibits targeted misgendering and deadnaming along with the promotion of conversion therapy, according to Them.
Elon Musk’s X received the lowest score at 30, while platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Meta scored in the 40s.
The report concluded that social media platforms use too heavy a hand in moderating content, and will often suppress LGBTQ+ content, labeling it as explicit or adult content. This leads to LGBTQ+ creators having content taken down or being shadowbanned.
GLAAD urges these platforms to take a more inclusive approach to protecting users, particularly those who are marginalized. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a recent statement: “At a time when real-world violence and harassment against LGBTQ people is on the rise, social media companies are profiting from the flames of anti-LGBTQ hate instead of ensuring the basic safety of LGBTQ users.”
“These low scores should terrify anyone who cares about creating safer, more inclusive online spaces,” Ellis said.
