User Trust in Platform Transparency Reports

Welcome! This survey explores your views on transparency reports published by online platforms. It should take approximately 11 minutes to complete. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential, anonymized, and will be reported only in aggregate for research purposes.

Before today, had you heard of transparency reports published by online platforms?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

<p>Please read the following fictional excerpt from a transparency report.</p><p>---</p><p><strong>Sample Transparency Report (Fictional)</strong></p><p>Reporting period: January–June 2024</p><p>Reports reviewed: 50,000</p><p>Actions taken: 12,000 account suspensions; 20,000 content removals</p><p>Violation categories: Spam (45%), Harassment (25%), Hate speech (18%), Child safety (12%)</p><p>---</p><p>The next few questions will ask about this excerpt.</p>

Overall, how much do you trust transparency reports published by online platforms?

To what extent do you agree or disagree: Transparency reports help hold online platforms accountable for their decisions.

Which features would most improve your understanding of transparency reports? Select up to three.

• Key takeaways summary
• Charts and visuals
• Methodology notes
• Examples of enforcement actions
• Raw data download
• Glossary of terms
• Search and filter tools
• Comparative trends over time
• Other

Based on your responses in this survey, what single change would most increase your trust in or understanding of transparency reports?

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your responses have been recorded and will contribute to research on how transparency reports can better serve users. We appreciate your time.

For this survey, 'transparency reports' refer to periodic summaries published by online platforms detailing their policy enforcement activities (e.g., content removals, account actions, appeals outcomes, government data requests).

When did you last read or review a transparency report from an online platform?

• In the last 30 days
• 31–90 days ago
• 3–6 months ago
• More than 6 months ago
• I have not read one
• Not sure

According to the excerpt you just read, how many account suspensions were reported?

• 5,000
• 12,000
• 20,000
• 50,000

How confident are you that transparency reports accurately reflect what platforms are actually doing?

To what extent do you agree or disagree: Transparency reports are published frequently enough to be useful.

We'd like to explore your thoughts on transparency reports in a bit more depth. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions based on your earlier responses.

Which of the following best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

Which platforms' transparency reports have you read or reviewed? Select all that apply.

• Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
• Google/YouTube
• X (Twitter)
• TikTok
• Microsoft/LinkedIn
• Reddit
• Snapchat
• Apple
• None of these
• Other
• Not sure

Which violation category had the highest percentage in the excerpt?

• Spam
• Harassment
• Hate speech
• Child safety

How likely are you to read the next transparency report you come across?

To what extent do you agree or disagree: The data in transparency reports is detailed enough for me to draw my own conclusions.

In which country do you currently reside?

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia
• India
• Other
• Prefer not to say

How clear was the example excerpt overall?

To what extent do you agree or disagree: I believe online platforms selectively present data in transparency reports to make themselves look better.

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college / associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Postgraduate degree
• Prefer not to say

What is your current employment status?

• Employed full-time
• Employed part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Unemployed
• Retired
• Homemaker / caregiver
• Prefer not to say