Social media platforms claim to be neutral spaces for free expression. Yet, a recent study conducted by feminist researchers on tackling marginalization in online spaces found that tech companies consistently fail to protect marginalized users from digital violence in Pakistan. While these platforms comply with state censorship demands, they rarely intervene when organized hate campaigns target women, transgender individuals, and religious minorities. This failure not only allows harassment to escalate but also enables real-world harm, making it clear that stronger regulatory enforcement is necessary. But can these tech giants be forced to act? The research suggests that without legal and financial consequences, corporate accountability will remain elusive.

How Platforms Enable Hate and Harassment

The research highlights that social media platforms’ moderation systems are structurally biased against marginalized users, largely because they fail to regulate hate speech in Urdu and regional languages. While content moderation policies claim to tackle misinformation and harassment, the study found that hate speech targeting women, trans persons, and religious minorities in local languages spreads unchecked.

One of the starkest findings is the selective enforcement of content removal policies. Meta (Facebook & Instagram) complies with 82.3% of takedown requests from the Pakistani government, but these requests........

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