In this blog our Head of Socials, Ashley Elliott, will share her thoughts on creating safer online spaces. A topic which is particularly timely given Meta’s recent announcements. 

In case you’re not aware, the first change Meta announced related to advertisements. You can read more about this from Torchbox here.

The second was their desire to “allow more speech by lifting restrictions on some topics that are part of mainstream discourse and focusing our enforcement on illegal and high-severity violations”. They also plan to ditch the third-party fact-checking system in the US, in favour of community notes. This will be a new feature for Facebook and Instagram where users themselves will flag misleading posts and add context. You can read the full update from Meta here.

As a social media moderation agency, our expertise focuses on the latter announcement. If you’re still unsure what to do with your ads, we highly recommend following the amazing Dan Papworth-Smyth from Breast Cancer Now on LinkedIn.

So, let’s focus on the second announcement. With Meta’s step toward “more speech” it likely means Facebook will become more similar to X. Which, understandably, is a concerning prospect for those who work in social media management.

The reality is we have very little control over how social media companies run their platforms. Whilst this change will largely impact the US for now, there’s every chance it could impact the UK in the future.

We have to focus our efforts on what’s within our control. The first is a decision on if you want an active presence there in the first place. And, if you do, you need to decide on how you want to manage your spaces and be proactive about keeping them safe. 

Agree on what a safe space means for you & utilise the features which help you manage this 

You should: 

• Create your ‘house rules’ about what is and isn’t acceptable
• Agree on a cohesive tone and priority list for when you will interject/respond
• Review your filters to hide words before you even need to moderate. These should be reviewed regularly, and there’s no better time than now to add a bunch of words to limit hate speech on your page.
  We will regularly update filters to help limit the flow of comments once something becomes a bit of a theme. For example, if you’re suddenly inundated with questions about CEO salary, you could add “CEO” as a filter term, and then unhide and respond to the comments which you deem as genuine. The rest can be left hidden. You then can remove that term if it is no longer a problem. 
• Review your admin tools and use them effectively. For example, if people regularly sharing links to external websites is causing a problem, turn this off in moderation assist. 
• Don’t be afraid to block people who have demonstrated they don’t value your boundaries and are using your content to amplify hatred/personal views you deem problematic.
  

Create/build an answer bank/knowledge base to help swiftly respond to a range of questions

Note this is a different document from FAQs. This contains answers to organisational questions, as well as more thorough responses if people query things like statistics or statements. Having a comprehensive guide for the team on the frontline means they aren’t constantly having to think on their feet, and any potential discussions can be nipped in the bud.

Best practice would see you add answers to potential questions every time you launch a new campaign.

Have a clear signposting structure

You need to acknowledge at what point you need to signpost people elsewhere. For example, mental health is something which can impact anyone, and not all charities are set up to deal with it. Have you defined what would happen if someone comments they’re struggling on your page?
Think about things which could come up, and ensure your team knows where they can direct people.

Develop escalation processes 
A cohesive escalation process means the team managing comments knows exactly when they need to stop and share with a senior member of the team. This removes feelings of anxiety and uncertainty and means keeping the space as safe as possible while it’s resolved.

Keep records of activity on your social accounts
Keeping a simple record of your daily activity can help identify new trends and themes, and give you the insight you need to make proactive adjustments to your moderation. This is particularly useful for charities that don’t have a social media management system to help label comments.

Ensure you have a consistent presence
If you want to keep your social space safe, you need to be there regularly. This will look different for each charity as it’s very resource-dependent. But you must create a rota system which ensures you have a consistent presence to monitor interactions and respond to comments.  Relying on self-moderation can be a dangerous practice, and with more emphasis on freedom of speech, we fear we’re only going to see more individuals emboldened to share views which may be problematic.

Useful links:
Guide to moderation on Facebook pages
Using moderation assist to turn off the ability to share links and image
Filtering words on Instagram
Examples of ‘house rules’ from Shelter, Breast Cancer Now and RSPCA.

Social AF can help you

If you’re in need of support, we’re here to help. Talk to Social AF about how we can help you enhance your community management and engagement, to support and protect your mission.

👉 Book a call with Ashley today.