15 May Why social platforms must put safety before scale

Christiana Maxion, Founder and CEO of MAXION, debates the importance of building privacy-first apps. Social platforms now shape how people communicate, form relationships and make decisions. In many cases, they influence behaviour beyond the screen, from attending events to building communities and arranging in-person meetings. This evolution has made privacy and security far more important than they were in the earlier phase of social media, when success was often measured by scale, engagement time, user acquisition and content virality. That model no longer reflects the reality of how these platforms are used today. A social platform now carries a deeper responsibility because it operates in a space shaped by identity, emotion, trust and vulnerability. Users share routines, preferences, boundaries and behavioural signals that can expose them beyond the platform. Data misuse can affect personal safety, identity protection, emotional wellbeing, reputation and trust in the wider digital ecosystem. The end-user recognises this too, with Cisco’s 2025 Data Privacy Benchmark Study finding that 95% of customers would not buy from an organisation if their data is not properly protected. This shows that a privacy-first and security-led approach is essential from inception. This fundamentally changes the responsibility of the platform. The stakes are no longer only digital When people use social discovery and community-led apps, they often do so with a level of openness that they may not show in other online environments. They may disclose what they are looking for, where they spend time, who they meet and how they prefer to communicate. If privacy is weak, users may be exposed to identity fraud, catfishing, harassment, reputational damage or financial loss. If data is not handled carefully, leaks can reveal routines, locations, behavioural patterns or private conversations. If verification is poor, users may interact with people who are not who they claim to be. If reporting and moderation systems are weak, harassment can escalate beyond the platform and create real-world consequences. For the everyday user, the issue is simple. Using a social platform means placing personal safety, private information and digital interactions in the hands of the product. Users need to feel protected before harm occurs, not only supported after a complaint has been filed. In these environments, failure is not limited to poor user experience, it can result in real-world harm. The limits of the scale-first model Most platforms still operate on a scale-first model: maximise user acquisition, increase engagement and address safety issues as they arise. Moderation and reporting systems are layered in after harm occurs. That approach is increasingly misaligned with reality. Reporting systems are necessary, but they are reactive by design. They depend on users experiencing harm first, then navigating a process to address it. In environments where interactions can move offline, that delay matters. A platform that enables real-world interaction cannot rely primarily on post-incident response. It must reduce the likelihood of harm before it reaches the user. What safety-first design actually means A safety-first approach is not a single feature. It is a set of design decisions that shape how the product behaves at every layer. Platforms need to ensure that users interact with real, accountable identities, while limiting unnecessary visibility that can expose them. This requires strong verification, controlled exposure of profiles and clear user control over what is shared and with whom. At the same time, sensitive data must be protected through strict collection and storage boundaries. Data minimisation reduces risk, while secure communication ensures that interactions remain private. Safety must also extend to how platforms detect and respond to risk. Systems should identify harmful behaviour early, apply friction where needed to prevent escalation and combine automated tools with human moderation to handle complex situations. As these platforms increasingly influence real-world interactions, safety measures must continuously adapt to new behaviours, ensuring that risks are addressed before they reach the user. The trade-offs of a safety-first approach Prioritising safety inherently introduces friction and costs. A safety-first strategy can slow down user onboarding, potentially reduce immediate conversion rates and increase operational overhead. Verification, moderation and security infrastructure introduce real cost and complexity. Furthermore, there is an inherent tension between user privacy and the desire for personalisation. Limiting data improves privacy but can reduce recommendation precision and personalisation. However, the cost of neglecting these measures is a much greater, compounding risk. Uncontrolled, rapid scaling without adequate protection inevitably leads to a breach of user trust. Recovering from such damage is a slow, complex and often uncertain process. Crucially, in a competitive environment, users who lose trust rarely return. Trust is not optional, it is economic The impact of weak safety and privacy is measurable. Data breaches lead to direct financial loss, regulatory exposure and operational disruption. According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach report, the average breach cost in the Middle East reached SAR 27 million. Beyond cost, there is long-term damage to reputation and user confidence. At the same time, user expectations have shifted, as Cisco’s 2025 Data Privacy Benchmark Study found. Trust now directly affects retention, engagement quality, willingness to share information and long-term platform growth. Safety is no longer a compliance exercise. It is a core driver of product viability. A different way to build social platforms The platforms that endure will be those that accept slower early growth in exchange for stronger foundations; enforce identity and behavioural constraints where risk is highest; minimise data while still delivering relevant experiences; prioritise prevention over reaction; and combine technology with human judgement to manage complexity As social platforms increasingly interface with real-world interactions, the consequences of inadequate safety measures escalate. The decisive differentiator will not be the velocity of scaling, but rather the ability to build systems people trust to use without feeling exposed.