What is Digital Suppression and how does it relate to SRHR content censorship?
A UNESCO study in 2024 demonstrated that 71% of 15-24 year olds access CSE information online, and the internet is the leading source of SRHR information for people globally, with an increasing reliance on digital resources for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights information. Despite this, there is immense censorship of digital SRHR content on social media platforms, by search engines, and even by your email service providers, forcing those wishing to share resources and information online to use AlgoSpeak when sharing SRHR content to avoid censorship and suppression. A large amount of SRHR content including topics like Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), abortion and reproductive healthcare, periods and menstrual health, sex work(ers), LGBTQIA+ people and their healthcare and rights, and Gender Based Violence (GBV) is heavily censored by content moderation algorithms, enacting platform community guidelines. This is often automated by algorithmic decision-making systems which deem content suitable or unsuitable for publication. Such systems rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make these decisions, using image recognition and language models to check content. However, automated content moderation decisions restrictions lack the ability to understand nuance and context, and frequently have bias and discrimination built into them, harming the ability to share SRHR content online.
Types of Content Suppression
Content Removal
When content is (automatically) removed and deleted for 'violating community guidelines'.
Reduced 'Reach'
When content is shown less in social media feeds or in search (engine) results, therefore 'reaching' fewer people who follow your content
Shadowbanning
When a social media account's visibility is very limited or not findable unless the full URL or username of the account is typed
Advertising Restrictions
When accounts are restricted from advertising certain topics, like abortion services or menstrual health products
IP address blocking
When websites are blocked by their IP address, making entire domains unreachable, essentially taking them offline
Email filtering
Email filters scan emails for 'sensitive' or 'forbidden' content, miscategorising some SRHR content as spam or blocking it completely
This website, AlgoSpeak.net, was formed in response to this suppression of SRHR content, and aims to provide a useful resource sharing language that is less-likely to get you banned when discussing SRHR topics on various platform*.
*disclaimer algospeak.net is not responsible for your content being suppressed!