The Trust & Safety Professional Association’s (TPSA) 2024 EMEA Summit in Dublin focused on “the power of collaboration.”
Siva Raghava, Jean Claffey, Andrea Ran, Marlyn Savio and Phil Tomlinson were there to join the conversation. Here are their key takeaways on what must be done to enhance trust and safety in the region:
1. Understanding cultural nuances and agility are critical in content moderation.
Platforms often take a global approach to their content moderation policies. Understandably, it’s difficult to create and monitor policies for every country, region or legislation.
A one-size-fits-all approach, however, is not enough. Building a safe online space requires striking a delicate balance: protecting free speech, upholding legal regulations and respecting cultural sensitivities. Developing region-specific policies and quickly adapting to emerging threats are crucial for bridging gaps and achieving this balance.
2. Multilingual support is difficult — but necessary — in trust and safety.
Many online safety measures currently fall short in catering to less spoken or long-tailed languages. Effective trust and safety practices, however, require comprehensive multilingual support. Otherwise, there’s a significant gap in content moderation, leaving these languages vulnerable to the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
Digital platforms are becoming more and more regulated, especially with the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the EU. The path forward lies in investing in diverse and inclusive support ecosystems. This could involve incorporating under-represented languages into translation tools, recruiting multilingual talent and leveraging technology like GenAI to bridge the gap at scale.
3. Forget about competition. Collaboration is key.
The truth is, no single company can single-handedly solve everything. Collaboration between platforms, service providers and technology developers is paramount. Each party brings unique strengths to the table: niche solutions, domain expertise and fresh perspectives. By partnering together, we can collectively fill critical gaps and create stronger solutions against current and emerging online threats.
The true strength of the trust and safety community lies in its remarkable diversity. There are psychologists, therapists, lawyers, researchers, engineers, educators and even emergency responders in the field. Recognizing and leveraging this diversity is critical in developing innovative solutions for a safer digital future.
What’s next? Join us at TrustCon San Francisco, July 22-24. We’ll delve deeper into topics like data-driven moderator well-being programs, building inclusive online dating experiences and more. Let's continue the conversation and safeguard digital experiences.
