The suicide of a 16-year-old Indian boy who hit a wall of online abuse after posting selfies in saris and makeup has galavanised calls for social media giants to better protect LGBTQ+ Indians. All five major social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) – received low and failing scores on an LGBTQ+ social media safety index in 2023 by media advocacy group GLAAD. “Sadly, it takes the death of a member of our community to discuss online harassment,” said Raqeeb. Shivangi Sharma, a Supreme Court lawyer, said government efforts to address online harassment of LGBTQ+ Indians fall short as the country lacks wider laws protecting LGBTQ+ people. Activists said social media platforms should also implement a user-friendly “safe mode” to prevent people from tagging them or commenting on their posts.

Source: The Hindu January 31, 2024 09:15 UTC