The past year has seen a significant increase in hateful and harmful content across the internet. From health misinformation and political rhetoric to call-out culture, social media platforms and digital environments beyond have taken a dark turn. Pinterest wants to lead a change.
Today, Pinterest is announcing the launch of the Creator Code – a mandatory set of guidelines that lives within the platform intended to educate and build community around inclusive and compassionate content.
It’s the next move as part of Pinterest’s ongoing pursuit to build an inspiration network, and comes after a long series of tools the platform has announced – like compassionate search and health misinformation policies – to help build a more positive internet.
Along with the Creator Code, Pinterest is launching additional updates to promote a safer and more inclusive environment, including new Comment Moderation tools, its first-ever Creator Fund and a new campaign:
- New Comment Moderation Tools: Comments are an important creator engagement tool on the platform, which is why Pinterest is introducing several new tools and features designed to provide a safer experience for Creators and Pinners including a positivity reminder to Pinners if it’s a hateful or offensive remark before posting, moderation tools using machine learning to detect and remove bad comments, new spam prevention signals and allowing creators to highlight up to three comments on published content.
- Creator Fund: Pinterest has launched its first-ever Creator Fund, a new program to elevate Creators from underrepresented communities through financial and educational support. Pinterest partnered with Creators from diverse backgrounds, from the worlds of fashion, photography, food and travel.
- For the Creator Code, Pinterest, in partnership with creators on the platform, developed an anthem video to celebrate. Creators are burned out from the negativity and comparison that weighs them down on other platforms. Pinterest has always been different, and the new Creator Code gives creators an even more inclusive and inspiring place to create. This campaign talks directly with creators about what it means to create in a kinder community—one where they can focus on being themselves and doing what they love most—instead of blocking trolls or muting comments.
According to Evan Sharp, Co-Founder, Chief Design and Creative Officer at Pinterest, “We’ve been building Pinterest for 11 years, and ever since our users routinely tell us that Pinterest is the ‘last positive corner of the internet’.”
“In that time, we’ve also learned that you need to design positivity into online platforms as deliberately as much as you design negativity out. The Creator Code is a human-centric way for Creators to understand how to be successful on Pinterest while using their voice to keep Pinterest positive and inclusive.”
