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Social media could use more moderation | Fortune

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Tuesday, September 16th 2025 at 6:36 GMT by Fortune
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Social Media Could Use More Moderation – A Closer Look at the Growing Call for Action

The world of social media has long been a double‑edged sword: a platform for free expression, community building, and entrepreneurship, and at the same time a fertile ground for hate speech, misinformation, and harassment. In a recent Fortune feature, “Social Media Could Use More Moderation,” the author brings together a host of voices—from platform executives and policy experts to everyday users—to chart why the current moderation model is falling short, and what steps could bridge the gap between unchecked content and a safer digital commons.

1. The Current Landscape: Too Much, Too Fast, Too Little

Fortune begins by painting a stark picture of the sheer volume of content that circulates on the major platforms: Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Twitter (now X), TikTok, and YouTube process billions of posts, comments, and videos each day. The article notes that despite massive investments in automated filtering and a growing cadre of human reviewers, the sheer scale means that harmful content frequently slips through the cracks before it can be identified and removed.

In a footnote, the article links to a recent Pew Research Center report that found that 48 % of U.S. adults say they’ve seen extremist content on social media in the past year, while 22 % report being personally harassed online. The Fortune piece uses these statistics to underscore a sense that the current moderation machinery is simply overwhelmed.

2. Algorithmic Bias and the “Filter Bubble”

A core theme in the article is the risk that algorithmic moderation introduces its own biases. The Fortune feature references a 2023 study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Digital Inequality, which revealed that automated hate‑speech filters disproportionately flagged posts made by minority users. The study also highlighted that certain linguistic nuances—such as regional slang or coded language—often evade detection, allowing extremist content to persist.

The article ties these findings to the broader debate over “filter bubbles.” A link to a Fortune article on TikTok’s algorithmic curation demonstrates how the platform’s recommendation engine can amplify fringe viewpoints, creating echo chambers that are difficult to dislodge. By aggregating user data, the algorithm may inadvertently prioritize sensational content—often the very type that spreads misinformation or harassment.

3. The Human‑in‑the‑Loop Dilemma

While AI can screen for obvious violations, the article argues that human oversight remains essential for interpreting context and nuance. Fortune quotes a senior moderator at YouTube who shared that they review roughly 200,000 videos a week, but the majority of those are flagged by algorithms for preliminary review. In some cases, moderators face “moderator fatigue” because they have to sift through content that’s borderline, and the stakes of over‑censorship are high.

The piece also highlights the recent hiring push at Meta, where the company added 1,200 new moderators last year, according to a Fortune‑linked press release. Yet the sheer volume of content still means a significant portion goes unchecked. The article also links to an open‑letter from the Digital Media and Society Association calling for a 50 % increase in the workforce dedicated to content moderation across all major platforms.

4. Policy and Regulatory Pressure

The Fortune article doesn’t shy away from the regulatory context. It cites the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into effect in 2022, mandating that “very large online platforms” remove illegal content within 24 hours and produce “impact assessments” to show how they mitigate systemic risks. The article links to a summary of the DSA’s key provisions and notes that while the law has spurred some action, compliance remains patchy.

In the U.S., the article links to a recent Senate hearing where tech CEOs testified about the challenges of enforcing policies while safeguarding free speech. Representative Mike Johnson urged Congress to fund research into “AI‑assisted moderation tools” that could reduce human error and speed up response times.

5. Real‑World Consequences

To humanize the data, Fortune weaves in several case studies:

• Political Misinformation: A TikTok clip circulating in July 2025 claimed a new “mild” vaccine side‑effect was deadly. The video reached 7 million views before the platform’s algorithm flagged it for a fact‑check, but the delayed response meant millions had already shared the content.
• Harassment Spirals: An X user was subjected to a coordinated harassment campaign after tweeting about a mental health crisis. The platform’s automated systems failed to detect the pattern of abusive language, and the user’s account was suspended weeks later.
• Extremist Recruitment: A YouTube channel used coded language (“The Way” and “The Path”) to recruit for an extremist group. The algorithm missed these subtle cues, leading to a surge in extremist videos before human reviewers intervened.

These stories illustrate how moderation delays or gaps can have real‑world harm, from public health misinformation to personal safety risks.

6. Recommendations: What’s Needed to Close the Gap?

The Fortune article concludes with a set of actionable recommendations that were derived from a panel discussion it hosted. The panel included:

• Platform Leaders: Meta’s VP of Trust & Safety, X’s Chief Content Officer, and TikTok’s Senior VP of Policy.
• Policy Experts: Dr. Elena Rossi, a professor of computer ethics at MIT, and a former U.N. communications officer.
• Grassroots Advocates: Representatives from the ACLU and the National Network for the Advancement of Hispanic Health (NNAHH).

Their consensus points:

1. Scale the Human Workforce: Platforms should increase the ratio of human moderators to content volume by at least 30 %. This would involve not only hiring more moderators but also providing them with better tools and mental‑health support.
2. Improve AI Transparency: Developers must publish detailed white‑papers explaining how their AI models make decisions, allowing external auditors to detect bias.
3. Cross‑Platform Collaboration: Platforms should share threat intelligence to detect coordinated misinformation or harassment campaigns across multiple services.
4. User Empowerment Tools: Provide users with clearer notification systems when content is removed, and offer “content filtering” options that allow individuals to block certain types of content or users.
5. Regulatory Frameworks that Balance Freedom and Safety: Encourage lawmakers to adopt “reasonably tailored” content‑moderation standards that protect free speech while preventing harm.

7. Final Thoughts

Fortune’s piece serves as a sobering reminder that social media moderation is a moving target. As content volumes grow, so too do the technical, ethical, and political challenges of keeping online spaces safe without stifling legitimate expression. The article’s call for a more robust, transparent, and humane moderation ecosystem is not just about policing bad content—it’s about building trust in a digital public square that increasingly shapes our societies. The work is far from done, but with concerted effort from platforms, policymakers, and users alike, a safer social media landscape may finally be within reach.