New poll finds seven in ten adults want social media firms to do more to tackle harmful content
New research published by Ipsos for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS).
● Ipsos study finds over four in five (84%) adults are concerned about harmful content online
● Seven in ten (68%) think social media companies should do more to protect people online
● Two in five (45%) of those who want social media companies to do more say they will leave or reduce the amount of time they spend on social media platform if they see no action to resolve issues
New research by Ipsos, commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) shows that a clear majority of the public want social media companies to do more to protect their users from abusive and other harmful content.
Over four in five (84%) adults in the UK are concerned about seeing harmful content, including racism, sexism, homophobia, and content that encourages self-harm. Two in five (38%) report having seen this type of content in the last month.
Seven in ten adults (68%) believe that social media companies should do more to protect people online. Four in five adults (78%) want social media companies to be clear about what sort of content is and isn’t allowed on their platform, and two in five (45%) of those who want social media companies to do more say they will leave or reduce the amount of time they spend on social media platforms if they see no action to resolve issues.
Technical note
Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,140 adults aged 18+ across the United Kingdom. Interviews were conducted online from 20th to 22nd June 2022. Quotas were set and data weighted using demographic variables to match the profile of the population.
