Microsoft has established better ways to report hate speech as well as to make a request for content to be reinstated. The company which may not have the social reach of twitter and Facebook is aiming at cracking down on hate speech that may crop up on its services with an easier mean to report it.
Microsoft Company on Friday launched a simplified web form where users can report hate speech as well as a separate petition to reinstate any content that may have been taken down.
The company is asking its users of its consumer services to report incidents that advocate violence against or hatred of users based upon age, gender, disability, ethnic or national origin, religion, race and sexual orientation or gender identity. Xbox Live, Sway, Skype, Docs.com, OneDrive and Outlook are among the Microsoft services covered.
According to Tech Times, the form requires such user to fill the country of residence and the service found to have hate speech in. By clicking on an appropriate radio button, Microsoft knows if it is a government organization or not.
The users will have to provide a link to the content, rather than any screenshots or recordings, such as might be found on Xbox Live. (Recorded audio or video could be stored online, however.) Users must provide an email address, though Microsoft may not need to contact users further.
Lastly, such complainer will provide an email address so that the company can reach back if need arise. Submission of the form will be done after the Captcha has been completed.
After that, Microsoft team will review the submission and decide whether or not it is a legal complaint.
The move is seen to be similar to the tool launched back by Microsoft back in May that enabled users report and crack down on terrorism across its services.
Though the company said it felt the Internet to be a force for good, it felt it was possible to abuse it. Jacqueline Beauchere, Microsoft's online safety officer said that as part of Microsoft commitment to human rights, they seek to respect the broad range of users' fundamental rights, including the rights to free expression and access to information, without fear of encountering hate speech or abuse.
The recent moves shows just how dedicated the company is in providing good environments on all its platforms for everyone.
Watch a video of Microsoft safety moves here: