Facebook occupies to be worse for online harassment, according to a global activist survey

Activists all over the world call for attention to the harassment they faced on Meta platforms. More than 90 percent of land and environment defenders Poll by Global WitnessA non -profit organization that also tracks the murders of the environmental defenders, which suffer from an online abuse or harassment associated with their work. Facebook was the most martyred platform, followed by X, WhatsApp and Instagram.

Global Witness and many activists surveyed and their peers call for more effort to tackle harassment and mislead their platforms. They left for Fester, and they are afraid that online attacks can nourish the real world risks to activists. About 75 per cent of the people surveyed said they believe that the abuse of the Internet that they suffered is compatible with the damaged damage of the Internet.

“These statistics stayed with me really. They were much higher than we expected to be,” freedom. This is despite the expectation of a dark result based on previous anecdotal accounts. “It has been known for a long time that the experience of climate activists and environmental defenders online is very horrific,” says Li.

Global Witness surveyed more than 200 people between November 2024 and March this year, as she managed to reach the same networks that he inhaled when documenting the killing of land and environment defenders. I have found that the platforms owned by the “most toxic” description. About 62 percent of the participants said they faced ill -treatment on Facebook, 36 percent on WhatsApp, and 26 percent on Instagram.

This may reflect the popularity of Meta platforms around the world. Facebook has more than 3 billion active monthly users, over a third of the world’s population. But dead too Abandoning the third -party fact examination program In January, critics warned could lead to more hate speech and misinformation. Meta moved to the collective outsourcing approach to moderate content similar to X, as it reached 37 percent of the poll participants for their assault.

in MayDead I mentioned “A small increase in the spread of bullying and harassment content” on Facebook as well as “a small increase in the spread of violent and graphic content” during the first quarter of 2025.

“This is also a kind of paradox, as they head towards this type of freedom of expression model, which we actually see is gaining some votes,” says Hana Sharp, one of Global Witness.

Vasresia Ann is leading a local women’s group in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it says that palm oil companies have confiscated farmers land and polluted local villagers from the river who are used to relying on drinking water. The participants accused her of Facebook of communism, and a dangerous claim in her country, she says freedom.

practice “”Red signs– Putting signs on any voices as the two communists – they were used to target and criminalize activists In Southeast Asia. In one prominent, prominent case Environmental activist in Indonesia He was prison under The laws of “combat communism” After opposing a new golden mine.

Ain says she has asked Facebook to download many of the posts she is attacking, without success. Ain says: “They said it is not dangerous, so they cannot download it. It is dangerous. I hope Meta, in Indonesia, is dangerous,” Ain says.

Other positions were accused of trying to defraud farmers and make a relationship with a married man, who sees that they are attempts to distort her reputation that could end her exposing them to more threats in the real world – which was already hostile to her activity. “The women who were defending my community are more likely than men … more people bother you with many things,” she says.

Nearly two -thirds of the people who responded to surveying global witnesses said they were afraid of their safety, including AIN. It has been physically targeted by protests against palm oil companies accused of failing to push farmers, they say freedom. During a protest outside a government office, the men grabbed their passion and chest, she says. Now, when you lead the protests, it is surrounded by elderly activists to protect them as a security measure.

In the global witness poll, nearly a quarter of the respondents said they were attacked on the basis of their gender. “There is evidence of the way women and women who wear color are particularly in politics, with an enormous eye than any other group,” says Li. “Once again, we see this playing when it comes to defenders … and the threats of sexual violence, the effect on the mental health of many of these defenders and their ability to feel safe.”

“We encourage people to use The tools available on our platforms To help protect against Bulling and harassmentMeta Tracy Clayton spokesman said in an email to freedomAdding that the company is reviewing Facebook posts that targeted AIN. Mita also referred to “her”Disappeared words“A feature that allows you to filter direct offensive messages and comments on your posts.”border“The feature that hides comments on your posts from users who do not follow you.

Other companies mentioned in a reportIncluding Google, Tiktok and X, they did not provide responses to the record for inquiries from freedom. And not Palm oil company Ain says that he works on the lands of local farmers without paying them, because they are It is supposed to do with the profit sharing scheme.

Global Witness says there are concrete steps that social media companies can take to tackle harassment on their platforms. This includes devoting more resources for their content baptism systems, reviewing these systems regularly, and inviting public inputs about the process. The survey activists also reported that they believed that algorithms that promote polarization content and spread robots on platforms make the problem worse.

“There are a number of options that platforms can make,” tells me. “Providing resources is an option, and they may put more money in a really good content, trust and really good safety (initiatives) to improve things.”

Global Witness is planning to submit its next report on the killing of land and environmental defenders in September. He found his last report at least 196 people were killed In 2023.