Who Moderates the Moderators? The Hidden Power of Online Oversight
Every second, algorithms and human moderators decide which voices are amplified, and which are silenced online. But who ensures these decisions are fair and transparent?
According to the FRA report “Online content moderation – Current challenges in detecting hate speech”, online moderation systems face three major issues: a lack of consistent definitions of hate speech, limited transparency of moderation processes, and the risk of discrimination when relying on artificial intelligence or opaque decision-making.
The report found that among the posts analysed, more than half were still considered hateful by human coders despite initial moderation efforts.
It also highlighted that women, people of African descent, Roma and Jewish communities are disproportionately targeted.
FRA emphasises that platforms must implement performance indicators (e.g., volume of misogynistic content, accuracy of moderation), ensure AI systems for detection are rights-compliant, and enable independent researchers to access moderation data for accountability.
At the HATE-LESS.EU initiative, we believe that digital literacy, critical thinking and inclusive education are integral to true online safety. It’s not just about what gets moderated. It’s also about who decides, how, and why. By empowering young people and educators with tools to question both content and context, we aim to build digital spaces that are safe.
👉 Read the full FRA report here
Partner Websites:
EUROPEAN YOUTH4MEDIA NETWORK EV – Germany: https://youth4media.eu/
EESTI PEOPLE TO PEOPLE – Estonia https://www.ptpest.ee/
MITRA FRANCE – France: https://www.facebook.com/mitrafr/
Formation et Sensibilisation de Luxembourg – Luxembourg: https://fslux.lu/
Evolutionary Archetypes Consulting SL – Spain: https://ea.consulting/
WAVES FOUNDATION FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION – Cyprus: https://www.wavesfoundation.org/
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