Facebook has long struggled to contain the spread of offensive content on its platform. However, the social media giant released a report this week detailing how it has made gradual improvements to reduce the amount of bullying and harassment that users see.

According to the company, its users saw bullying and harassment 14 to 15 times out of every 10,000 views of content between July and September. Meanwhile, Instagram users viewed this kind of content 5 to 6 times out of every 10,000. The company also said that it took down 9.2 million pieces of bullying and harassment content on Facebook, and 7.8 million such posts on Instagram.

“The vast, vast, vast, vast majority of content on Facebook doesn’t violate our policies and is perfectly good content,” Guy Rosen, Meta’s vice president of integrity, told reporters. However, Rosen also admitted that it’s challenging for the company’s artificial intelligence to sort out what is and isn’t harassment.

“It’s very difficult to know what is a bullying post or comment, and what is perhaps a lighthearted joke, without knowing the people involved or the nuance of the situation,” Rosen continued.

Facebook’s enforcement system will never be perfect, but it is encouraging to see that the company is taking at least some steps in the right direction.

Recommended Resources

The Choice of Tech Experts Worldwide. Try 90 days free of Bitdefender and experience the highest level of digital safety.

Surf the web truly incognito. Try Bitdefender Premium VPN, the ultra-fast VPN that keeps your online identity and activities safe from hackers, ISPs and snoops.

System Mechanic 14 – Make your computer run like new. Winner of 200+ Editor’s Choice awards!