Reporting Harmful Content to Platforms
If you have experienced or witnessed harmful content online, you can usually report it directly to the platform where it has been posted.
Most social media platforms have their own community guidelines or community standards, which explain what content is and isn't allowed. These rules vary between platforms, meaning something that is allowed on one platform may not be allowed on another.
How do I report harmful content?
Most platforms have a reporting option, usually found by selecting the three dots (...) next to a post, image, video, comment or account.
When making a report, choose the category that best describes your concern, such as harassment, hate speech, threats, violent content or intimate image abuse. Where possible, report the individual piece of content rather than just the account. This helps the platform identify exactly what you are concerned about and assess whether it breaks their rules.
If the account itself is causing harm, for example through impersonation or repeated harassment, you may also want to report the account.
Keeping evidence
Before reporting harmful content, it can be helpful to keep a record of what you have seen or experienced, particularly if you may need to report it elsewhere.
This might include:
Screenshots or screen records of the content
The URL or direct link to the post
Usernames and account links
Dates and times
Any reference numbers or responses from the platform
Content can be deleted or changed, so saving evidence early can be useful.
If the content involves suspected child sexual abuse material, do not download, screenshot or share it. Instead, report it to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
What happens after I report something?
Once you have submitted a report, the platform will assess the content against its own Community Guidelines or policies. Depending on the outcome, the platform may remove the content, restrict its visibility, take action against the account or decide that no rules have been broken.
It's important to remember that content can be harmful or upsetting without necessarily breaking a platform's rules. Reporting something does not always mean it will be removed.
What if the platform doesn't remove the content?
If you disagree with a platform's decision, you may be able to request another review or appeal the outcome. You can also check the platform's community guidelines to better understand what content is prohibited and whether the content you have reported may breach those rules.
If you have already reported the content and are unhappy with the outcome, the Adult Online Safety Centre may be able to provide further support.
How can we help?
The Adult Online Safety Centre provides advice and support to people experiencing or witnessing harmful content online.
If you have already reported content directly to a platform without success, we may be able to provide further advice and, where appropriate, escalate the content to the platform for another review.
However, we can only escalate certain types of content on supported platforms where there may be a breach of the platform's policies. We cannot guarantee that content will be removed, and we cannot override a platform decision.
What if the content is illegal?
Some forms of online harm may also be criminal offences, including threats, stalking, harassment and intimate image abuse.
If you believe a crime has taken place, you can report it to the police by calling 101 or through your local police force's website. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.
For more information, visit our reporting online harm to the police page.