Social media platform X has been ranked the least safe major network for LGBTQ users in a new global report, with researchers warning that protections across the industry have reached “historic lows”.
The annual Social Media Safety Index, published by LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation GLAAD, assessed six of the largest platforms on their policies around safety, privacy and freedom of expression. It found that X, formerly Twitter, scored just 29 out of 100 - the lowest of all those surveyed.
The report, released on 7 May 2026, said the platform continues to rank last for LGBTQ+ safety, reflecting ongoing concerns about hate speech, harassment and weak enforcement of community standards.
Researchers evaluated TikTok, YouTube, X and Meta-owned Facebook, Instagram and Threads using a range of indicators, including content moderation policies, corporate transparency and protections against abuse.
Across the board, scores declined compared with the previous year, with the exception of TikTok. GLAAD said most companies were retreating from previously established best practice, contributing to what it described as a worsening environment for LGBTQ+ users online.
X’s score placed it behind YouTube, which received 30 points, while Meta’s platforms all fell into the high 30s and low 40s. TikTok recorded the highest score at 56, though still well below full marks.
The findings highlight widespread concerns about the direction of major tech firms’ policies. GLAAD said the overall landscape of social media was “rife with anti-LGBTQ+ hate, harassment, and disinformation”, and warned that many platforms were failing to prioritise user safety.
According to the report, recent policy changes by several companies have contributed to the decline. These include rollbacks to hate speech protections, reduced transparency around moderation decisions and the scaling back of diversity and inclusion programmes.
Particular concern was raised about the impact on transgender and gender non-conforming users, with researchers pointing to weakening protections in community guidelines and enforcement systems.
GLAAD said the ongoing fall in scores suggests a growing gap between the policies companies claim to uphold and the real-world experiences of LGBTQ+ users on their platforms.
The advocacy group has called on social media firms to strengthen safeguards, improve transparency and reinstate protections to ensure safer online spaces for marginalised communities.
The report marks the sixth year that GLAAD has published its index, and its authors said the persistence of low scores across all platforms showed the scale of the challenge facing the industry.
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