A new report from GLAAD paints a disturbing picture:

Major platforms like Google (YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) are experiencing a spike in anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech.

The rise isn’t accidental — it follows recent policy rollbacks by both companies.

In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the removal of restrictions on topics like gender identity, claiming they were “out of touch with mainstream discourse.”

Around the same time, Google quietly removed “gender identity and expression” from YouTube’s hate speech policy — protections that had previously helped shield LGBTQ+ users from coordinated abuse.
 

According to GLAAD, these changes are already causing real harm — and putting lives at risk.

We call on the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and relevant oversight agencies to open a formal investigation into Meta and Google’s policy changes and their role in fueling hate speech towards LGBTQ+ users.

Assess whether these companies have violated civil rights.

When platforms scale back safety, they enable hate — and the government has a duty to step in.