Understanding engagement with platform safety technology for reducing exposure to online harms
Jonathan Bright, Florence E. Enock, Pica Johansson, Helen Z. Margetts, Francesca Stevens
TL;DR
The paper investigates how UK adults engage with platform safety technologies intended to reduce online harms. It uses a nationally representative survey (N=1,067) from January 2023 to measure awareness, use, and satisfaction across seven tools categorized as preventative, posting, and post-hoc response. Key contributions include quantifying high overall usage (>80% using at least one tool) and revealing that awareness is higher for post-hoc tools with mixed satisfaction across outcomes, especially for reporting. The study finds that harm concern and prior harm exposure predict tool use; digital literacy enhances post-hoc tool use; women show higher engagement in certain safety actions, with mixed effects for political orientation. These findings inform policymakers and platforms about making safety features more salient, transparent, and accessible to diverse users.
Abstract
User facing 'platform safety technology' encompasses an array of tools offered by platforms to help people protect themselves from harm, for example allowing people to report content and unfollow or block other users. These tools are an increasingly important part of online safety: in the UK, legislation has made it a requirement for large platforms to offer them. However, little is known about user engagement with such tools. We present findings from a nationally representative survey of UK adults covering their awareness of and experiences with seven common safety technologies. We show that experience of online harms is widespread, with 67% of people having seen what they perceived as harmful content online; 26% of people have also had at least one piece of content removed by content moderation. Use of safety technologies is also high, with more than 80\% of people having used at least one. Awareness of specific tools is varied, with people more likely to be aware of 'post-hoc' safety tools, such as reporting, than preventative measures. However, satisfaction with safety technologies is generally low. People who have previously seen online harms are more likely to use safety tools, implying a 'learning the hard way' route to engagement. Those higher in digital literacy are also more likely to use some of these tools, raising concerns about the accessibility of these technologies to all users. Additionally, women are more likely to engage in particular types of online 'safety work'. We discuss the implications of our results for those seeking a safer online environment.