Relevance to Internet Governance: As more and more of our social interaction moves online, and given the role that private entities have in deciding what narratives are available in the public discourse, it is crucial that we examine the content moderation practices of platforms. Platforms cannot claim to be neutral arbiters while simultaneously opting to cooperate with one side of a disputed narrative without considering the broader, significant implications of their actions. A focus on content moderation slices through platforms' claims of neutrality and allows us to understand how platforms can uphold consistent policies in the face of competing societal expectations, different experiences, cultures, or value systems. By understanding moderation as a fundamental aspect of a platform's service, we can ask new questions about their power in society.

Relevance to Theme: Uneven enforcement of content moderation standards can lead platforms to become a proxy battle in which disputing narratives and activities emerge and collide. Vague criteria for content removal and account suspensions, lack of procedural transparency, algorithmic bias, and informal relations between platforms and governments contribute to eroding the trust of users on both sides of these opposing narratives. This workshop will focus on steps platforms can take towards improving trust in their content moderation decisions including audits of algorithms, publishing data on its internal practices, providing robust data on its content removal and account suspension practices, particularly in conflicted territories.