Users of 'Microsoft hosted consumer services' like Outlook.com, Sway, Docs.com, Skype, Xbox Live or OneDrive can now report hate speech to the Redmond technology giant. Users that find content that advocates violence or promotes hatred based on age, disability, gender, national or ethnic origin, race, religion or sexual orientation can fill in a form that Microsoft has made available.
The form is especially targeted complaints from regular users. Microsoft will not deal with formal requests, "for court orders or other formal legal processes for Microsoft to remove content from its services, please use official channels. Legal process submitted through this web form will not be acted upon or receive a response."
The company also stress that not all reported content will be removed. Every complaint will be reviewed and if content is not found to be hate speech Microsoft will not take any action.
Users that abuse the hate speech reporting form can be blocked from using it. As Microsoft explains, "note that if Microsoft detects an email address is being used to abuse this reporting process for the purpose of harming a Microsoft customer or Microsoft services, or for other improper purposes, we may block the email address from submitting reports. "
When users feel content is wrongly removed, they can appeal through another form. Chats and activity feeds that are previously removed can't be reinstated according to the company due to, "the transient nature of such content."
