Content Moderation Appeals Experience Survey

Welcome to this survey about content moderation appeals on social media platforms. This survey takes approximately 12 minutes. 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 and experiences. All responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate only. No personally identifying information will be shared. By continuing, you consent to participate in this research.

Which of the following best describes your experience with content moderation appeals in the past 12 months?

• Submitted 2 or more appeals
• Submitted 1 appeal
• Considered appealing but did not submit
• Received a moderation decision but did not consider appealing
• No moderation decisions about my content
• Not sure / Prefer not to say

Which type of social media platform are you mainly thinking about when answering this survey?

• General social network (e.g., Facebook)
• Photo-sharing platform (e.g., Instagram)
• Short-video platform (e.g., TikTok)
• Microblogging platform (e.g., X / Twitter)
• Discussion forum (e.g., Reddit)
• Streaming or creator platform (e.g., YouTube, Twitch)
• Messaging app (e.g., Telegram, Discord)
• Multiple platforms / varies
• Prefer not to say

The following questions ask about your experience in the past 12 months. If you submitted an appeal, please think about your most recent one.

Which steps of the appeal process were unclear or burdensome? Select all that apply.

• Finding where to submit an appeal
• Understanding the policy reason for the decision
• Writing the appeal message
• Providing or uploading evidence
• Submitting the appeal form
• Waiting for the review
• Tracking appeal status
• Receiving notifications or updates
• Understanding the final explanation
• None of the above

How clear was the explanation of the policy your content was flagged for?

How clear were the instructions for submitting your appeal?

How clear were the status updates provided during the review of your appeal?

How clear was the explanation of the final outcome of your appeal?

What was the outcome of your most recent appeal?

• Original decision was upheld
• Decision was overturned in my favor
• Partial change (some elements adjusted)
• I withdrew or canceled the appeal
• No outcome yet

Approximately how long did it take to receive the outcome of your most recent appeal?

• Under 1 hour
• 1–24 hours
• 2–3 days
• 4–7 days
• 8–14 days
• 15–30 days
• More than 30 days

Thinking about your most recent appeal, how fair was the review process?

I believe the platform applied its policies consistently in my case.

I felt my perspective was genuinely considered during the appeal review.

I trust that my appeal was reviewed by someone (or a process) that understood the context of my content.

Overall, how satisfied are you with how the platform handles content moderation appeals?

How satisfied are you with how clearly the platform communicates about moderation decisions and appeal outcomes?

How likely are you to use the appeal process again if you receive a future moderation decision you disagree with?

Please rank the following aspects of an appeals process from most to least important to you.

1. Clear reasons for decisions
2. Fast review time
3. Ability to add evidence
4. Human reviewer involvement
5. Status updates during review
6. Detailed final explanation

If you could change one thing about the content moderation appeal experience, what would it be?

Based on your survey responses, we'd like to explore your appeals experience in a bit more depth. Please share any additional thoughts, and our AI moderator may ask a few follow-up questions.

What is your age?

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

How do you describe your gender?

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

If you selected 'Prefer to self-describe,' please share here (optional).

In which region do you currently live?

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• Central America / Caribbean
• South America
• Oceania
• Prefer not to say

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college or vocational training
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate or professional degree
• Prefer not to say

What is your current employment status?

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

Thank you for completing this survey. Your feedback will help improve the clarity and fairness of content moderation appeal processes. Your responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate only.