For creators whose careers depend on being seen online, hate and harassment come with the job. They affect creators' mental health and, when abuse moves offline, their physical safety. In a new study in the Journal of Online Trust and Safety, researchers interviewed 19 YouTube creators about the abuse they face and how they deal with it. Creators did report offensive content, but they didn't find YouTube's reporting feature useful and felt they couldn't count on it to resolve problems. Instead, they relied on the platform's moderation tools, their own security habits, and help from other creators. Authors Victoria Zhong and Dr. Rachel Greenstadt will discuss these findings, and will be joined by Dr. Jordan Harrod, an AI researcher and YouTube creator, for a moderated discussion about online safety for creators and what platform tools do (and don’t do) to support them.

The Cybersafety Research Center Lab Talks are sponsored by Northeastern University and New York University, hosted by IIID.