The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Releases Inaugural Trust & Safety Glossary of Terms

Today the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership released the inaugural edition of its Trust & Safety Glossary of Terms.

This is the first industry effort by technology companies, representing various products, sizes, and business models, to develop a common Trust and Safety lexicon.

“By defining common terms used every day in the trust and safety field, we’re taking a practical step toward consistency, clarity, and transparency with the goal of making this work more legible to a range of readers, including digital service users, tech company employees, and anyone else interested in learning more about how trust and safety work gets done,” said glossary Editor-in-Chief and DTSP advisor Alex Feerst.

The Trust & Safety Glossary of Terms consists of more than 100 terms across four categories:

• content concepts and policies;
• common types of abuse;
• enforcement practices; and
• Trust and Safety technology.

The glossary has been updated to incorporate valuable input received from academic organizations, industry partners, regulators, and other global stakeholders during the public consultation held earlier this year. Updates made since the consultation include shorter definitions accompanied by bulleted commentary, a format that is designed to increase the usability of the document while providing a place for context and examples that address the complexity of certain terms.

“Instead of sitting on a virtual shelf, our goal for the glossary is for it to be a useful resource for trust and safety professionals and those who are engaging with them in pursuit of safer and more trustworthy digital products and services,” said DTSP Executive Director David Sullivan.

DTSP will share more information about how the glossary was developed and how we responded to comments received during the public consultation in a forthcoming publication.

Workshop Summary: Implementing Risk Assessments Under DSA

The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) is built on years of conversations and experimentation around how best to identify and control risks associated with digital content and services. The DSA recognises and seeks to support the steps that many platforms have taken voluntarily over the last 15 years, including expanded transparency reporting, robust content moderation, and increasingly mature approaches to human rights due diligence. Recognising the positive potential of these and other rights-enhancing mechanisms, the DSA seeks to ensure that they are applied more broadly, consistently, and effectively across the online ecosystem. This substantive continuity is reinforced by the DSA’s open architecture, which leaves room for, and in some cases explicitly encourages, opportunities for intermediaries, civil society, researchers, auditors, dispute resolution bodies, and others to engage with each other and with regulators to understand and improve digital services.

In the spirit of this openness, on 24 and 25 May 2023, the Digital Trust and Safety Partnership (DTSP) and the Global Network Initiative (GNI) invited our respective company members to join with a wide range of academic and civil society experts in conversation around the risk assessment provision of the DSA (Article 34). The conversations were conducted virtually and spread over two, 150 minute workshops, in order to maximise participation across key time zones.

• Read Discussion Summary

The purpose of the workshops, supported by the BrainBox Institute, was to facilitate input from civil society experts about how companies can understand and undertake risk assessment and design risk mitigation as laid out under the DSA, as well as for civil society to hear questions, concerns, and ideas from companies.

For further details, please see the event Agenda and Reference Material below:

• Agenda and Overview

• Additional Reference Material

The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Welcomes Twitch

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership (DTSP), a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet, today welcomed Twitch as its newest partner.

DTSP brings together a diverse range of innovative digital companies, representing various products, sizes and business models. Twitch joins the DTSP’s growing list of participating companies, which also includes Apple, Bitly, Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, TikTok, and Zoom.

The partnership is committed to developing industry best practices, reviewed through internal and independent third-party assessments, to ensure consumer safety and trust when using digital services.

DTSP launched in February 2021 to mature and professionalize the Trust and Safety field, in pursuit of a safer and more trustworthy internet. Since then we have:

• released our first set of common Trust & Safety commitments, articulating the 35 Best Practices our members are using to keep consumers safe;
• implemented a first round of Safe Assessments, evaluating the trust and safety practices of partner companies;
• developed a Glossary of Trust & Safety Terms for public consultation;
• participated in events with peer organizations across the United States, Europe, and Asia;
• engaged extensively with experts from industry, governments and civil society.

For more information, please visit dtspartnership.org. Members of the press can contact the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership at press@dtspartnership.org.

About The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership

The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership is a first-of-its kind initiative focused on promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet. The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership includes Apple, Bitly, Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, TikTok, Twitch, and Zoom. For more information, please visit dtspartnership.org.

Connect with DTSP at RightsCon

The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership will be at RightsCon 2023, in Costa Rica and online.

The 12th edition of the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age, RightsCon brings together experts and advocates from civil society, governments, and technology companies. DTSP executive director David Sullivan and head of outreach and engagement Farzaneh Badiei will be in San José and look forward to participating in the following sessions:

• For trust and safety online, can practices make perfect?
  Wednesday June 7, 2023 | 9 – 10am CST
  • In-person roundtable with speakers from Discord, PEN America, and the Centre for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information. More information here.
• Beyond social media: the conundrums of moderation elsewhere in the stack
  Thursday June 8, 2023 | 10:15 – 11:15am CST
  • Co-hosted with Zoom and featuring speakers from Cloudflare and the Center for Democracy & Technology. More information here.

Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Launches Consultation on Trust & Safety Glossary of Terms

Today the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership released a Trust & Safety Glossary of Terms for public consultation.

This is the first industry effort by technology companies, representing various products, sizes, and business models, to develop a common Trust & Safety lexicon.

“Conversations about a safer internet need a common language so we can rely on shared definitions of the challenges we face and the varied approaches to addressing them,” said Glossary Editor-in-Chief and DTSP advisor Alex Feerst. “We’re grateful for everyone’s contributions, and look forward to continuing feedback on where there’s consensus and where there’s still work to do.”

The draft glossary consists of more than 100 terms across four categories: 

• content concepts and policies; 
• common types of abuse; 
• enforcement practices; and 
• Trust & Safety technology. 

An early draft was shared with interested Trust & Safety practitioners at TrustCon, the first global conference dedicated to the field’s professionals, and it has benefited from robust input from DTSP’s membership.

“Our mission is centered on identifying, developing, assessing and implementing Trust & Safety best practices. Without a common lexicon for those best practices, it’s hard – if not impossible – to make measurable progress toward a safer and more trustworthy internet,” said DTSP ED David Sullivan.

The Partnership is seeking input from stakeholders on the glossary terms and welcomes comments from industry, civil society, governments, including policymakers and law enforcement, experts from academia, and other interested parties. Feedback can be provided via online form, or by email to consultation@dtspartnership.org before March 15, 2023.

DTSP Unveils Inaugural Evaluation of Trust & Safety Best Practices

WASHINGTON – Today the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership (DTSP) unveiled its inaugural evaluation of how ten leading technology companies–Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta , Microsoft, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, and Vimeo–are adhering to Trust & Safety best practices. 

The report reveals key findings on Trust & Safety practices that are well-developed across the companies and those areas that are still evolving.  Many companies reported a mature state of development for core content moderation practices, such as building teams responsible for establishing, updating and enforcing the rules of their services. Several of the practices rated as least mature, on the other hand, related to engaging the perspectives of users and external organizations in Trust & Safety, including human rights groups and academic researchers. concern engaging the perspectives of users and external organizations. The area where most improvement is expected in the future is integrating Trust & Safety into product development from the beginning.

“We’re encouraged by the initial results of the Safe Assessments and very interested to see specific documentation of where digital companies have been successful and where they can invest more efforts to combat harmful content and conduct,” said DTSP’s Executive Director David Sullivan. “This is just one step in the cycle, and we’re looking forward to building on this progress within companies and as an industry.”

Last year, DTSP released the Safe Framework for how participating companies’ Trust & Safety practices will be assessed. This inaugural evaluation of the Safe Assessments provides a benchmark for a future independent assessment, along with policymakers, stakeholders, consumers and the companies themselves. DTSP is already working with experts with a deep understanding of both Trust & Safety and assessment frameworks to move forward on an independent, third-party assessment.

“Though Trust & Safety has long been a critical function at digital companies, it has only been in recent years that they have taken steps to mature and organize the field. This includes increased dialogue with external stakeholders on these issues, which DTSP helps to facilitate at an industry-wide level,” said Sullivan.

The inaugural report, based on internal company assessments, synthesizes the results of the Safe Assessments conducted by ten DTSP partners in the first half of 2022. Participating companies that have joined the organization more recently will participate in a future cycle of assessments. 

DTSP continues to engage with global policymakers, subject matter experts and users to review and improve the Best Practices Framework and other areas of Trust & Safety. This year DTSP has engaged extensively with experts from industry, government, and civil society, holding a series of stakeholder conversations with representatives from 27 countries regarding its approach on how to make the internet safer and more trustworthy.

About The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership: The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership is a first-of-its kind initiative focused on promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet. The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership includes Apple, Bitly, Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Patreon, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, Vimeo, and Zoom.  For more information, please visit dtspartnership.org.

The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Welcomes Bitly

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership (DTSP), a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet, today welcomed Bitly as its newest partner.

DTSP brings together a diverse range of innovative digital companies, representing various products, sizes and business models. Bitly joins the DTSP’s growing list of participating companies, which now counts 14 leading technology companies, including Apple, Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Patreon, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, Vimeo and Zoom. 

The partnership is committed to developing industry best practices, reviewed through internal and independent third-party assessments, to ensure consumer safety and trust when using digital services. 

“With internet trust and safety being a priority at Bitly, it was a natural fit for us to join our industry peers in this joint effort,” said Kelsey Stevenson, VP of Product at Bitly. “This collaboration is just one way we will keep our community protected and ensure they have a secure experience while using our platform.”

As part of its mission to mature and professionalize the Trust & Safety field, DTSP unveiled the Safe Framework, a flexible yet rigorous methodology for how the Trust & Safety practices of participating companies will be assessed. Since the Safe Framework release, DTSP has engaged extensively with experts from industry, government, and civil society, holding a series of stakeholder conversations with organizations from 27 countries regarding its approach on how to make the internet safe.

About Bitly

Bitly is a leading global SaaS company offering a comprehensive platform designed to enable every piece of information shared online to connect with key audiences and ignite action. Bitly’s all-in-one Connections Platform empowers more than 5 million monthly active users and over 380,000 customers globally – people, influencers, brands, and businesses of every size – to use branded links, custom QR codes, and link-in-bio solutions as a trusted platform for engaging their audience and delivering critical notifications, information, and experiences. Bitly is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture and employee experience proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.  For more on Bitly, visit https://bitly.com/.

About The Digital Trust & Safety PartnershipThe Digital Trust & Safety Partnership is a first-of-its kind initiative focused on promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet. The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership includes Apple, Bitly, Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Patreon, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, Vimeo, and Zoom.  For more information, please visit dtspartnership.org.

Working with the World Economic Forum to Improve Online Trust & Safety

Since we launched last year, the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership has taken significant steps to promote a safer and more trustworthy internet. Engagement with other stakeholders is critical to this mission. Today, we’re proud to build on that progress as DTSP has recently joined the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety, an illustrious group of 35 public and private sector stakeholders working to develop innovations and advance collaborations that tackle harmful content and conduct online.

DTSP Executive Director David Sullivan will serve as co-chair of the Digital Safety Risk Assessment Framework, a new focus area in the Coalition that will work on evaluating how platforms should assess digital safety risks and measure the impact of interventions.

In addition to Sullivan, members of the Coalition include leaders from tech companies including Microsoft, Google, and Meta, as well as international organizations such as UNICEF and INTERPOL, as well as academics and civil society groups. The Coalition also includes foreign government officials including Ukraine Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov and United Kingdom Office of Communications Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes.

DTSP is thrilled to be part of this global effort and looks forward to sharing with you all more updates as it continues its work on behalf of the Global Coalition for Digital Safety.

The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Welcomes Zoom

WASHINGTON — The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership, a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet, today welcomed Zoom as its newest partner.

Zoom highlights the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership’s growing list of participating companies, which now counts 12 leading technology companies. One year ago, the Partnership launched after it brought together a diverse range of innovative digital companies, representing various products, sizes and business models. DTSP’s other partners include Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Patreon, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, and Vimeo.

The Partnership is committed to developing industry best practices, reviewed through internal and independent third-party assessments, to ensure consumer safety and trust when using digital services.

A year ago this week, the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership launched to mature and professionalize the Trust and Safety field, in pursuit of a safer and more trustworthy internet. Since then we have: 

• released our first set of common Trust & Safety commitments, articulating the 35 Best Practices our members are using to keep consumers safe;
• built the Safe Framework, a flexible yet rigorous methodology for how the Trust & Safety practices of participating companies will be assessed;
• participated in events with peer organizations, and
• engaged extensively with experts from industry, governments and civil society.

For more information, please visit dtspartnership.org. Members of the press can contact the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership at press@dtspartnership.org.

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The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership is a first-of-its kind initiative focused on promoting a safer and more trustworthy internet. The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership includes Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Patreon, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, Vimeo, and Zoom.

The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership Unveils Framework for Robust Assessments of Digital Services and Products

WASHINGTON — The Digital Trust & Safety Partnership (DTSP) is a first-of-its-kind industry-driven initiative to promote a safer and more trustworthy internet by establishing best practices for digital Trust & Safety. Today, DTSP unveiled the Safe Framework for how the Trust & Safety practices of participating companies will be assessed, bringing the organization closer to its goal of objective and measurable third-party assessments. The Safe Framework establishes rigor and consistency for the assessment processes, which will take place across a diverse set of the participating companies’ products and services. 

DTSP launched earlier this year with a wide range of leading technology companies, representing various products, sizes, and business models. DTSP’s 11 partners include Discord, Google, LinkedIn, Meta Platforms, Inc., Microsoft, Patreon, Pinterest, Reddit, Shopify, Twitter, and Vimeo.

“We’re developing a sustainable framework that will address the urgent needs of today and that can be used to solve the safety challenges of the future. In a world where digital services face unique and constantly evolving risks, there is no single Trust & Safety solution, which is why we’ve developed a model that considers a number of factors to assess company practices,” said DTSP Executive Director David Sullivan. “Having witnessed the collaboration among DTSP members, I’m enthused by our progress and I look forward to sharing more of our learnings in the near future.”

The Safe Framework examines the people, processes, and technology that contribute to managing content- and conduct-related risks for participating companies. Initially, each partner will conduct an internal assessment, which evaluates adherence to the Commitments, documents existing practices, and identifies opportunities to improve them or develop new ones. An objective and measurable third-party assessment will follow. 

The Partnership is seeking input from outside parties on this methodology, and welcomes comments from civil society groups, governments, including policymakers and law enforcement, as well as experts from academia. Feedback should be sent to consultation@dtspartnership.org by February 15, 2022. 

For more information please visit dtspartnership.org. Members of the press can contact the Digital Trust & Safety Partnership at press@dtspartnership.org.