Hi everyone, We are excited to announce the publication of a new research report from the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), "*Moderating Quechua Content on Social Media.* <https://cdt.org/insights/moderating-quechua-content-on-social-media/>"We explore how social media platforms conduct analysis of user generated content in Quechua, as well as processes for enforcement and appeals of moderation decisions. In addition, many platforms use large language models (LLMs) and other automated tools to support their content moderation systems. We examine how such technologies are incorporated into trust and safety systems that handle content in Quechua. This study is part of CDT's research series on the challenges of moderating low-resource languages in the Global South (see our related research on Maghrebi Arabic <https://cdt.org/insights/moderating-maghrebi-arabic-content-on-social-media/>, Kiswahili <https://cdt.org/insights/moderating-kiswahili-content-on-social-media/>, and Tamil <https://cdt.org/insights/moderating-tamil-content-on-social-media/>). Using a mixed-method approach that includes an online survey of Quechua social media users, interviews with content moderators, influencers, linguistic activists, and digital rights advocates from Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, we well as extended discussions with NLP researchers and LLM developers working on language technologies in Quechua, we found that: * Quechua social media users most frequently use Facebook, but most use multiple platforms, with a combination of Quechua and Spanish. * The motivation for some Quechua social media users to post online is to share their language and culture with each other and the world.Several of our interviewees affirmed that this form of linguistic activism and resistance, often done in Quechua. * Quechua social media users are confronted with multiple problems on platforms, including what they perceive as unjust content removals and algorithmic discrimination.Their own attempts at testing the platforms’ algorithms point to examples of the differential treatment between Quechua and Spanish, where moderation of the latter appeared to be more effective. These problems are driven in part by the limitations of the technologies (automated tools, LLMs, etc.) used by social media platforms. * There is a significant problem of harassment targeted at those who post in Quechua.As some interviewees recognized, part of this problem is also gendered, with women who identify as Quechua online subject to online gender based violence. * Automated content moderation technologies and trust and safety processes appear to fail Quechua social media users in several ways.Experts suggested that LLMs are not yet ready to be applied to content moderation in Quechua, given the lack of training data and other limitations. In addition, content moderation teams lack Quechua speakers and analysts, and the content policies used were essentially copied from English and Spanish and applied to Quechua content, leading to indecision, delays, and the non-removal of harmful content. We conclude with recommendations to create trust and safety systems that support language equity while respecting the rights and aspirations of those who post in indigenous languages such as Quechua. You can read and share threads on Bsky <https://bsky.app/profile/cdt.org/post/3lsjoczbofa2x>, LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/posts/center-for-democracy-%26-technology_how-do-content-moderation-systems-treat-indigenous-activity-7344057259594821633-TxRH?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABmRVjQBbSXIuPC3_K9dGpdU_vv3AzZW62k>and Mastodon <https://techpolicy.social/@CenDemTech/114750893089040642>, and you can access the full report here <https://cdt.org/insights/moderating-quechua-content-on-social-media/>for more details. We will soon publish a video summary of the report in Quechua and a Spanish translation (using the same link). Feel free to share within your networks. Your feedback and insights are important to us as we continue exploring the complexities of content moderation in other regions in the Global South. Best regards,Dhanaraj -- *Dhanaraj Thakur* (he/him) | Research Director Center for Democracy & Technology |*cdt.org <https://cdt.org/>* **dthakur@cdt.org | **+1 202 407 8849