This talk is part of a two-presentation session running from 11:10 AM -12:00 PM. The session will feature two presentations back-to-back, with Q&A after each presentation.

As concerns over child safety online mount, platforms are working to better understand the potential harms of specific communities on their platforms. Over the past year, Graphika’s mapping, monitoring, and analysis of self-harm and eating disorder communities has revealed the complex role they play as both a major vector of harm and a vital harm reduction tool. The self-harm and eating disorder communities behave according to unique, multiplatform dynamics not seen in other online communities. Such nuanced communities require a holistic viewpoint to identify exactly where and how harm is taking place. Our presentation will cover network mappings of these communities across multiple platforms and discuss how subsets of users engage with self-harm content and evade existing moderation practices. We will also present our findings on new techniques emerging in this community, such as the use of new tools and technologies like generative AI.