GLOBAL REPORT IT! WEEK CALLS ON SOCIAL MEDIA USERS TO HELP END ONLINE ANIMAL CRUELTY
Every day, animals are filmed being harmed, exploited, or deliberately placed in distress for social media content. Some are presented as entertainment, others as rescue, education, or seemingly innocent animal encounters. Once online, this content can reach millions of viewers, and engagement can help it spread.
From September 21–27, 2026, the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC) is bringing online animal cruelty into the wider conversation around digital safety through Report It! Week 2026.
Under the message “See It. Report It. End It.”, Report It! Week, encourages social media users to recognize harmful animal content, avoid amplifying it, and report it directly to the platform when appropriate.
A Problem Measured in Billions
SMACC estimates that online animal cruelty content generates more than 100 billion views every year, with more than half of documented cruelty content involving direct physical abuse. 32% of animals featured are endangered species in the wild.
The scale of engagement can create an incentive for harmful content to be produced and circulated. In its investigation into fake animal rescue content, SMACC documented more than 1,000 links in just six weeks, generating more than 572 million views. In 21% of cases, creators solicited donations, often through PayPal.
When animal suffering becomes content, attention can become part of the business model.
Reporting Can Make a Difference
Reporting gives users a way to flag potentially harmful content directly to the platform hosting it. SMACC's reporting data indicates that approximately 47% of content reported to platforms was eventually removed.
Reporting is not a solution on its own, and not every report results in removal. But it gives platforms an opportunity to review content against their policies and provides an important signal about what users are encountering on their services. At the same time, reporting should not mean amplifying.
Watching a video repeatedly, commenting, sharing, or reposting it, even to condemn the cruelty, can contribute to its visibility. Instead, report the content where appropriate and share information about what others can do rather than circulating the harmful material itself.
Turn attention into action, not another view.
Platforms Have a Role to Play
Users can report cruelty, but they cannot address the wider problem alone. Platforms also have a role in ensuring that their policies, reporting systems, and moderation practices are capable of addressing animal cruelty content.
SMACC's research and ongoing engagement with platforms are aimed at documenting the scale of the problem and providing evidence to support stronger responses.
In 2026 alone, more than 47,000 links to animal cruelty content were reported to SMACC, with approximately 83% coming from Meta platforms.
This is why action needs to happen at both levels: users can report what they encounter, while platforms need to respond effectively to the content being reported.
Take Action During Report It! Week
If you see animal cruelty online:
Report it to the platform where you found it.
Don't engage by commenting, sharing, or reposting the content.
Don't amplify it to raise awareness, share the action instead.
Help others understand how they can report harmful content.
You can find reporting guidance and campaign resources through the Report It! Week campaign.
Call on Meta to Do Better
Reporting individual pieces of content is one part of the response. We are also calling on platforms to strengthen their systems and take greater responsibility for the animal cruelty content circulating on their services.
In 2026, approximately 83% of the animal cruelty links reported to SMACC came from Meta platforms. Our Meta Petition calls for stronger policies, better detection and moderation, more effective reporting systems, greater transparency, and meaningful engagement with animal welfare experts.
See It. Report It. End It
Report It! Week runs until September 27, ending with SMACC 101: See It, Think, Act, a free public webinar about how everyday online behaviour can affect animals.
Because what happens online does not stay online. What we watch, engage with, and report can influence what gets seen next.
This week, if you see animal cruelty online, report it, and don't give it another audience in the process.
