A report from the nonprofit "Center for Countering Digital Hate" released on Wednesday stated that the Instagram platform, owned by Meta Platforms, did not remove derogatory comments targeting female politicians who are potential candidates for the 2024 U.S. elections. The report analyzed over half a million comments on posts shared by five Democratic politicians and five Republicans, including Elizabeth Warren, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, current Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The center identified more than 20,000 comments as "toxic," with 1,000 containing sexual and racist insults, in addition to threats of death and rape. Instagram left 93 percent of the harmful comments up even after they violated the platform's standards. Meta has not yet responded to a request from Reuters for comment on the report.
In the center's analysis of the 2020 U.S. elections, it concluded that women of color are more likely to face sexual and racist insults. The report urged social media platforms to more effectively implement safety guidelines and take decisive action against online harassment.
