GLAAD has released its 2025Social Media Safety Index evaluating seven of the countrys largest social media platforms on how well they protect LGBTQ+ users. The platforms assessedFacebook, Instagram, Threads (Meta), TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchatwere scored based on their LGBTQ+ user safety, policy transparency, enforcement and protections against harassment and disinformation. No platform scored above a 60 out of 100. TikTok received the highest score at 56, while X ranked lowest at 30. Meta platforms saw the biggest year-over-year declines.In January, Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the platforms moderation, fact checking and protections. The recent major ideological shifts from Meta have been particularly extreme, said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. Earlier this year, the company announced it would retreat from stablished norms of trust and safety in favor of welcoming hate speech, and further place the onus on users to block blatantly harmful content that would otherwise violate its policies. The Platform Scorecard and the Key Findings and Recommendations of this edition of the SMSI reflect the early fallout of the current situation and point to why collective advocacy to hold social media companies accountable is so urgent.The report outlines several key areas of concern, including increased anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, inconsistent content moderation, and a lack of transparency in how platforms enforce their policies. It also highlights the spread of disinformation targeting LGBTQ+ communities, particularly trans and nonbinary users, and suppression of LGBTQ+-related content. Among GLAADs recommendations: strengthen and enforce hate speech policies, provide transparency around content moderation and algorithmic impacts, implement LGBTQ+ cultural competency training for moderators, and offer users more control over data tracking and targeting.GLAAD also notes that the findings point to a growing disconnect between platform policies and user experiences. While most platforms publicly state support for LGBTQ+ communities, the report suggests that implementation and enforcement often fall short.TheSocial Media Safety Indexwas created in 2020 to track year-over-year progress and hold platforms accountable. GLAADs team worked with independent researchers and advisors to evaluate each platforms safety measures, content policies, enforcement and user experience for LGBTQ+ communities.The report highlights the influence social media platforms have on public discourse and how that influence can affect real-world attitudes about LGBTQ+ people.For more detailed platform breakdowns and recommendations, the full 2025Social Media Safety Indexis available at glaad.org.The post GLAAD Report: Major social platforms fall short on LGBTQ+ safety in 2025 appeared first on News Is Out.