User-generated content, or UGC, is any content people create and post on a platform instead of the company itself: posts, comments, reviews, photos, videos, live streams, marketplace listings, and profile details.

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‍Why it matters

UGC is what makes many platforms valuable, and it's what creates most of their risk. The company doesn't know in advance what will be posted, and the volume and variety are hard to predict. In the United States, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act generally protects platforms from being treated as the publisher of content their users post, with exceptions such as federal criminal law and intellectual property. That protection shapes how platforms approach moderation, but it doesn't remove obligations under other laws, including the EU's Digital Services Act.

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‍How platforms manage it

Most combine clear policies, automated screening, human review for what automation can't decide, user reporting tools, and an appeals route. The mix depends on the risk. A kids' platform and a professional network won't draw the line in the same place.

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‍Why the type of content changes the approach

Text is the easiest to filter automatically. Images and video need classifiers and take more review time. Live streams can't wait for a review queue, so they need real-time monitoring. Profile names, bios, and usernames are UGC too and are often overlooked.