CAREER: Toward Equitable Social Media Content Moderation for Marginalized Individuals and Communities

这项研究考察了在线平台禁止用户和内容的原因和后果，这些用户和内容实际上并不违反网站政策，或者在网站政策和社区规范方面陷入灰色地带。它将实现：(1)描述人们被禁止或从社交媒体网站上删除内容的原因的类型和流行程度，这些原因与系统性偏见的关系，以及这些做法的影响。(2)深入介绍被边缘化的在线社区为解决温和造成的不平等问题而制定的程序和支助结构。(3)定性和计算相结合的技术方法，根据社区规范和不断变化的网站政策，更准确地区分应该禁止和不应该禁止的社交媒体内容。(4)针对情景感知内容审核系统的设计建议，该系统可平衡社区需求、规范和价值观与平台要求，并可应用于社交媒体网站。(5)对当前在线内容审查不平等现象的理论见解，以及如何通过承认和尊重边缘化在线社区的需求来更公平地实现审查目标。将进行以下研究：1)采访被边缘化的人，他们的内容或账户在符合网站政策或陷入灰色地带的情况下仍被从社交媒体网站上删除；2)在经常成为用户禁令和内容删除目标的三个被边缘化的在线社区中进行虚拟民族志研究。3)使用参与式设计和焦点小组方法来确定如何构建可应用于社交媒体网站的上下文感知内容审核系统。4)在线实施这一社会技术系统，并进行评估，以了解用户认为它在多大程度上是公平的，以及它在多大程度上满足了他们的需要。此外，数字扫盲在线资源将帮助人们了解内容和账户删除以及如何重新获得网站访问权限，研究结果将教育社交媒体平台有关边缘人群在内容审查方面面临的挑战。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research examines the causes and consequences of online platforms banning users and content that do not actually violate site policies, or fall into gray areas with respect to site policies and community norms. It will achieve: (1) A characterization of the types and prevalence of reasons people are banned or have content removed from social media sites, how these relate to systemic biases, and the implications of these practices. (2) An in-depth description of processes and support structures marginalized online communities enact to address inequities resulting from moderation. (3) A combined qualitative and computational technical approach that more accurately delineates between social media content that should and should not have been banned, according to community norms and shifting site policies. (4) Design recommendations for a context-aware content moderation system that balances community needs, norms, and values with platform requirements and can be applied across social media sites. (5) Theoretical insights around current inequities in online content moderation and how moderation goals can be achieved more equitably by recognizing and respecting marginalized online communities’ needs. The following studies will be conducted: 1) Interviews with marginalized people whose content or account was removed from a social media site even though in line with site policies or falling into a gray area; 2) A virtual ethnography in three marginalized online communities who are frequent targets of user bans and content takedowns. 3) Use of participatory design and focus group methods to determine how to build a context-aware content moderation system that can be applied across social media sites. 4) Implementation of this sociotechnical system online, and evaluation to understand the extent to which users consider it equitable and how well it meets their needs. In addition, a digital literacy online resource will help educate people about content and account removals and how to regain site access, and the results of the research will educate social media platforms about challenges marginalized populations face around content moderation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.