Women of color running for Congress in 2024 are facing a disproportionate number of attacks on social media compared with other candidates, according to a recent report by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the University of Pittsburgh. The report analyzed 800,000 tweets over a three-month period and found that over 20% of posts directed at Black and Asian women candidates contained offensive language. Black women, in particular, were targeted with hate speech more frequently. While less than 1% of all tweets mentioning a candidate contained hate speech, African-American women candidates were four times more likely to be subjected to this type of post. The report also highlighted the impact of offensive speech, which can deter women of color from running for office. It recommended that social media platforms implement clear policies prohibiting attacks based on race or gender, increase transparency into their systems, provide better reporting tools, conduct regular risk assessments with a focus on race and gender, and offer privacy-preserving mechanisms for independent researchers to study the issue. The report emphasized that addressing these attacks is crucial to creating a truly inclusive democracy.
