The role and responsibilities of social media and digital platform owners in preventing and responding to anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes.
The rise of anti-LGBTIQA+ disinformation and online hate
While online spaces can provide important opportunities for connection and exploration for LGBTIQA+ people, particularly young people, they can also be a site of significant harm (22). LGBTIQA+ people experience online hate at more than double rate of other Australians (23), and social media and digital platforms are increasingly being used to spread disinformation, hate speech and encourage violence against LGBTIQA+ communities (24, 25). This online discrimination can take many forms, such as hate speech, bullying, doxing, threats of violence or death. Social media and digital platforms can be used to normalise, dehumanise and vilify LGBTIQA+ people and communities through disinformation and extremist narratives that lead to significant offline harms, including hate crimes and physical violence (26).
Current online regulation measures in Australia
Historically, regulation of online safety has been approached through a largely ‘libertarian’ approach, with minimal government intervention, placing the onus on individuals to keep themselves safe online and promoting a ‘use at your own’ risk culture (27). However, this approach is beginning to shift in response to the rapid development and proliferation of technology, particularly AI and generative AI and significant increase in technology-facilitated abuse. Globally governments are increasingly moving towards greater regulation of technology platforms to require technology companies to take accountability for the safety of their platform users. The Australian Government has introduced several notable measures, including the Online Safety Act 2021 and Basic Online Safety Expectations, that grant the eSafety Commissioner legal powers and outline expectations that service providers will take steps to protect users.
Current regulatory measures set minimum expectations but the safety of LGBTIQA+ communities requires social media and digital platform owners to go beyond compliance and take genuine, proactive responsibility for the environments they create.
The role of social media and digital platform owners
Social media and digital platform owners play a critical role in preventing and responding to all forms of violence facilitated through their platforms. Despite the introduction of regulatory measures in Australia and internationally, social media and digital platforms continuously fail to provide safety and protection for LGBTIQA+ people and communities.
Case Study: Meta's Hateful Conduct Policy
In January 2025, Meta Platforms, the world's largest social media company, announced changes to their Hateful Conduct policy with the justification that it would support greater free speech across their platforms.
These changes removed previous restrictions and content moderation on topics such as immigration, gender identity and gender. The updated policy permits users to describe LGBTIQA+ people and communities as 'mentally ill' or 'abnormal' and to call for their exclusion from professions, public spaces and society based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Meta's policy changes demonstrate the power of individual tech companies to shape and enforce the prevention and response to harms on their platforms and limits to Australia's current approach to legislation and regulation.
Social media and digital platform owners have an ethical and legislated responsibility to establish safe online environments for all users, including LGBTIQA+ people. This includes preventing the creation and spread of online hate and discrimination that is proliferated through algorithms.
At a minimum, social media companies and digital platforms should consider aligning with the eSafety’s Commissioner’s Safety by Design Principles to safeguard users online risks and harms. This includes the development and enforcement of community guidelines, terms of service and moderation procedures against LGBTIQA+ hate, disinformation and violence.
Key Consideration 6:
Implement Recommendation 15d of Respect Victoria’s Three Yearly Report to Parliament 2022-2024 which recommended the Victorian Government:
Work with and advocate to the Australian Government and other Australian state and territory governments and agencies to address misogynistic radicalisation and gendered disinformation in online spaces. This should include increased responsibility of technology platforms to prioritise user safety.