*Content Moderation and Its Discontents* *An International Conference, St. Mary’s University (London, UK), 23 June 2023 * *Call for Papers* In recent years, content moderation on social media has become a contested topic. As forms of online extremism, harassment and hate speech have increased on major platforms, community guidelines and AI-based detection and moderation policies have been introduced to tighten regulation, yet such plans often fall short or are actively circumvented, as Elon Musk’s efforts at undoing what he regards as excessive restriction of “free speech” on Twitter demonstrate for instance. Some spaces on the internet are also notorious for their lax or inexistent moderation policies, such as Reddit or 4chan. In times of culture wars, many have also claimed an erosion of free speech in a climate of “cancel culture” in which it has allegedly become impossible to share particular viewpoints or ideas. Equally many have disputed the very existence of cancel culture and have pointed out that many instances of deplatforming or cancellation are mere shifts in discourses whereby voices who have been marginalised are now claiming their rightful place on the discursive stage. This conference takes the complex relationship between the facilitation and moderation of content and particularly of content that can broadly be labelled “problematic” as a starting point. Opinions among politicians, tech experts, academics and others differ in relation to what types of content should be flagged or removed by platforms or if too restrictive regulation constitutes censorship. A blanket ban on “problematic” online content is unrealistic and perhaps counterproductive. While illegal content or posts that constitute hate speech such as death threats should surely be removed, the question of content moderation becomes more complex when it comes to “problematic” content such as images of self-harm, “pro-Ana” communities or the open discussion of mental health problems like suicidality or depression. This interdisciplinary conference invites papers that deal with the complexity of content moderation and associated topics from different perspectives. We invite critical papers that can address but are not limited to: - The dynamics and functions of content moderation (flagging, up and downvoting, removing, etc.) - Content moderators, labour and trauma - Practices of in/visibility: shadow banning, soft blocking and other forms of disengagement - Self and collective regulation (e.g. in fora) - Content moderation, regulation and the law - Culture wars and cancel culture - Polarisation, filter bubbles and echo chambers - Problematic content and mental health communities - Shitstorms and online shaming - Psychodynamics of social media and platforms This conference is organised by Jacob Johanssen (St. Mary’s University), Daniela Nadj (St. Mary’s University) and Susanne Benzel (Sigmund Freud Institute, University of Frankfurt) as part of the research project *Mapping Online Mental Illness Communities: History, Representation and Questions of Regulation*. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. It will be a hybrid event. In-person attendance is encouraged and virtual participation is possible. Please submit an abstract of 250-500 words by *08 May* to the organisers: jacob.johanssen@stmarys.ac.uk, daniela.nadj@stmarys.ac.uk and benzel@sigmund-freud-institut.de