In recent years, online hostility—ranging from hate speech to disinformation and incitement—has emerged as a major societal challenge. It undermines democratic dialogue, threatens the well-being of individuals, and erodes trust in public institutions. While social media platforms have introduced various moderation tools, many are now reducing investments in professional content moderation and fact-checking. Instead, they are increasingly relying on users themselves to flag, counter, or respond to harmful content—a strategy often referred to as "crowd-moderation."
However, research consistently shows that most users remain passive bystanders when confronted with hostile online content. Only a small, vocal minority actively engage, and unfortunately, this minority is often composed of those spreading negativity. This imbalance leaves online spaces vulnerable and creates an urgent need for tools that empower a broader spectrum of users to participate in maintaining a respectful digital environment.
The STANDBYCOMMS project was launched to address this challenge. Its core objective was to develop, test, and disseminate a scalable, behaviorally informed intervention that motivates ordinary users to take simple, constructive actions when they witness hostility online. Instead of focusing on punitive moderation or censorship, the intervention—called “Speak up, Report, Support”—promotes a pro-social bystander approach. It encourages users to report harmful content, express disagreement in respectful ways, or support those targeted by hostility.
By grounding the intervention in behavioral science and testing it in real-world settings, the project aimed to create a practical, evidence-based tool that could be adopted by media outlets, public communicators, and civil society actors.
The expected impact of the project is twofold: first, to make online platforms more respectful through increased user participation in moderation; and second, to shift the broader culture of online engagement toward empathy and responsibility.
