Improve Instagram's reporting system for gender-based abuse
The Issue
As a woman content creator, I have experienced firsthand the devastating impact of gender-based abuse on social media. After expressing my views on Instagram, I was bombarded with misogynistic and sexual slurs, rape and physical-violence threats, coordinated attacks even involving my family, and identical abusive comments from multiple accounts. It was a wave of digital hostility that left me feeling vulnerable and unheard.
Instagram's current reporting system failed me. The reporting options are too broad and treat each instance of abuse as isolated, unable to capture the gendered and coordinated nature of these attacks. This is not just my story; this is a pervasive issue affecting millions of women worldwide. According to UN Women, 38% of women have faced online abuse, and a staggering 85% have witnessed it happen to others.
We need change. Meta, Instagram's parent company, plays a pivotal role in shaping a safer online environment. It is imperative that they acknowledge this gap in their reporting system and take swift action. We are calling on Meta to implement a dedicated reporting category for misogynistic slurs, sexual harassment, rape or death threats, and coordinated attacks against women. Furthermore, these reports must be prioritized for prompt human review to ensure that the nuances and patterns of gendered abuse are recognized and addressed effectively.
By doing so, Instagram can become a safer space where women's voices are not silenced by fear of harassment. This change is not just about protecting individual content creators but about upholding the dignity and rights of women everywhere to express themselves freely and safely in digital spaces.
Women should be able to report multiple comments and accounts as one abusive pattern. Rape and death threats should reach trained human reviewers urgently. Moderation must also understand regional languages, transliterated words and culturally specific misogynistic slurs.
Please add your name to this petition and join us in urging Instagram to take a decisive stand against gender-based abuse on their platform. Together, we can push for a system that truly protects all its users.
1,394
The Issue
As a woman content creator, I have experienced firsthand the devastating impact of gender-based abuse on social media. After expressing my views on Instagram, I was bombarded with misogynistic and sexual slurs, rape and physical-violence threats, coordinated attacks even involving my family, and identical abusive comments from multiple accounts. It was a wave of digital hostility that left me feeling vulnerable and unheard.
Instagram's current reporting system failed me. The reporting options are too broad and treat each instance of abuse as isolated, unable to capture the gendered and coordinated nature of these attacks. This is not just my story; this is a pervasive issue affecting millions of women worldwide. According to UN Women, 38% of women have faced online abuse, and a staggering 85% have witnessed it happen to others.
We need change. Meta, Instagram's parent company, plays a pivotal role in shaping a safer online environment. It is imperative that they acknowledge this gap in their reporting system and take swift action. We are calling on Meta to implement a dedicated reporting category for misogynistic slurs, sexual harassment, rape or death threats, and coordinated attacks against women. Furthermore, these reports must be prioritized for prompt human review to ensure that the nuances and patterns of gendered abuse are recognized and addressed effectively.
By doing so, Instagram can become a safer space where women's voices are not silenced by fear of harassment. This change is not just about protecting individual content creators but about upholding the dignity and rights of women everywhere to express themselves freely and safely in digital spaces.
Women should be able to report multiple comments and accounts as one abusive pattern. Rape and death threats should reach trained human reviewers urgently. Moderation must also understand regional languages, transliterated words and culturally specific misogynistic slurs.
Please add your name to this petition and join us in urging Instagram to take a decisive stand against gender-based abuse on their platform. Together, we can push for a system that truly protects all its users.
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Petition created on September 6, 2026