Stop the Hate, Strengthen the Dialogue: Why We Need To Act Now and How Fanpage Karma Helps
The culture of digital discourse is changing – and not for the better. Since Meta and Twitter/X loosened their moderation policies, content that was once limited is now reaching millions, even when it spreads disinformation or hate speech on social media. According to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, nearly every second young user has already encountered hate comments on social media. Especially affected are public profiles, brands, media outlets and political figures.
Pressure on Community Managers, Brands & Agencies
Community managers are now operating at the intersection of viral visibility and toxic comment sections. With greater reach comes greater risk such as targeted attacks, troll storms, and hate speech in social media feeds are becoming the norm.
The impact is deep: constant exposure to hate comments causes emotional exhaustion, fear of making mistakes and ongoing tension. Content needs to be checked and decisions are often made under pressure. But what is an opinion and what harmful content? Hate speech on social media isn’t always clear-cut, and those who react too late or not at all risk damaging their own brand reputation.
At the same time, external pressure is increasing, as communities expect more than ever before. Brands are expected to take responsibility by reacting quickly and providing clear moderation. But most teams lack the resources such as technical support, defined processes or consistent guidelines. The result? Many social media teams report feeling overwhelmed, insecure and left alone.
When Hate Takes Over the Debate and the Society Falls Silent
Hate speech on social media has long since become more than just a concern for individual companies or community managers. It poses a real threat to our democratic society. The Digital News Report 2023 shows that more and more people are withdrawing from online discussions for fear of backlash, hate comments, or cancel culture. This self-censorship primarily affects voices that stand for diversity, education, and participation. Germany’s Federal Agency for Civic Education also warns that hate speech can shake the foundations of democratic societies in the long term.
And the role of platforms is a cause for concern. They play a key role in deciding what content is visible. But instead of taking responsibility, some players are increasingly withdrawing from active moderation.
Platforms Are Shifting: How Twitter/X and Meta Are Changing Their Moderation Policies and What This Means
Since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter/X (formerly Twitter) in October 2022, core moderation policies have been dismantled, including safeguards against disinformation in elections, hate speech, and measures to protect trans* people (Kopps, 2024). The clear change of course towards “maximum freedom of expression” has serious implications. A study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and CASM Technology found that antisemitic tweets more than doubled after Elon Musk’s takeover – rising by 106% from an average of 6,204 to 12,762 per week (ISD, 2023). The Reuters Digital News Report 2025 adds that the Twitter/X algorithm now favors far-right perspectives, further distorting public discourse. In countries like Germany and the UK, Twitter/X is seen as a serious threat to democratic integrity – partly due to Musk’s direct political influence (Digital News Report, 2025).
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) is also following this course. At the beginning of 2025, Mark Zuckerberg announced the end of the previously established US-based fact-checking program. Instead of relying on independent reviewers, users will now flag false information themselves using so-called “community notes”, a concept modeled after Twitter/X. At the same time, moderation guidelines on sensitive topics such as immigration, gender and racism were relaxed, and political content was given more visibility in the feed again (Meta, 2025).
While the EU is pushing for more regulation and common standards, global platforms like Twitter/X and Meta are increasingly moving toward a “more visibility, less moderation” model. This shift pushes the burden of responsibility onto users and companies. It also makes concrete solutions that address the areas where platforms fail all the more important. After all, we need brands that take a stand. Not just with words, but with tools.
Our Stance at Fanpage Karma: Take Responsibility & Protect Digital Spaces
At Fanpage Karma, we firmly believe that anyone who brings people together in digital spaces must actively help shape and protect those spaces. As a social media management tool, we take our responsibility seriously – especially towards those who build, nurture, and moderate communities on a daily basis. Ultimately, community management is much more than just responding to likes and comments. It’s shaping public discourse.
That’s why we take a clear stand against online hate and for constructive debate and respectful communication. We want to give social media teams a powerful tool to help stop hate speech.
“The growing visibility of social media hate isn’t just a threat to democratic discourse — it’s a growing burden on every community manager. At Fanpage Karma, we want to be part of the solution. With our Hate Speech Detector, we aim to give social media teams the technical support they deserve — and help make digital spaces safer and more positive.” – Stephan Eyl, Co-Founder & CEO of Fanpage Karma
Our New Feature: The Hate Speech Detector
With the Hate Speech Detector, we are introducing a new feature that relieves pressure from social media managers and promotes more positive discussions.
What Can the Hate Speech Detector Do?
This AI-powered feature automatically detects problematic content and acts on it according to your specifications:
- Automatic detection of hate speech in messages & comments
- Overview: Problematic content automatically appears in a separate folder
- Moderation options: Content can be automatically hidden, delegated, or flagged
- Cross-platform compatibility integrated directly into Fanpage Karma Engage
- Full control: Teams can individually configure sensitivity levels
And best of all, the feature is included in all subscription versions of Fanpage Karma. It requires no additional activation and can be enabled immediately.
Your Advantages at a Glance:
- Less moderation stress, more focus on genuine dialogue
- Quick action against hate speech
- Clear signal to the outside world: we protect our community
- Actively living digital responsibility
The Hate Speech Detector is more than just a new feature. It is a sign of digital responsibility. For social media, that not only performs, but also protects. With this new feature, we support you in regaining control over comments, the tone in your community, and the quality of your digital communication.
Whether you’re an agency, a company, or a publisher – now is the time to take action and lead the way toward a better social media landscape.
