Oliver L. Haimson is a leading scholar in social computing and human–computer interaction whose work explores how technology shapes identity—particularly for transgender and marginalized communities. Currently a Scholar-in-Residence at Digital Futures in Stockholm, Haimson is also an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, where he directs the Community Research on Identity and Technology (CRIT) Lab. His research examines how social technologies intersect with identity transitions, online safety, and community governance.
Author of the 2025 book Trans Technologies, Haimson’s work highlights how technology can open new possibilities for transgender people—and how trans experiences can, in turn, inspire more inclusive technological design. In this interview, Haimson discusses how digital platforms shape identity, how trans communities adapt technologies to meet their needs, and what platforms can do to create safer online spaces.
Your research often explores the relationship between identity and technology. What first inspired you to study how social media and digital platforms shape identity—particularly transgender identities?
– I was initially interested in these topics related to my own social media use. Having changed gender myself around the time I was becoming a researcher, I became fascinated with online identity and especially thinking about how people communicate major life transitions online. At the time, very few people had studied trans identity and social media, and so I started doing research in that space. There were a lot of unanswered questions, and I was curious. I eventually focused my dissertation research on transgender identity disclosure on social media.
In your book Trans Technologies, you examine how technology and transgender experiences influence each other. What are some examples of technologies that have been reshaped by trans communities?
– In doing the research for my book, I found that so many different technologies can be used to help address trans needs and challenges! In the US, we have faced a lot of anti-trans legislation in recent years, and in response many trans people have been turning to technology to create systems for support and to do activism and advocacy work. While many people have been building their own trans technologies, others reshape existing technologies and cobble them together to suit their needs. For example, the online community Trans Peer Network uses a combination of Discord, Notion, Google Docs, online video chat, and many more tools to create the technical infrastructure they use to manage the community.
Your work also focuses on content moderation and marginalized communities online. What are the biggest challenges platforms face today in creating safer spaces for vulnerable groups?
– Content moderation’s biggest challenge involves finding the balance between too much moderation and not enough, and I think this is one of the most difficult problems of our time. Marginalized communities often face the worst consequences on both ends. For example, my team’s research found that trans people are more likely to have their content removed from social media platforms, even when they have not violated policies. At the same time, other research has found that trans people are very likely to experience online harassment. So, you can see how the content moderation levers that social media sites have power over can cause many problems, no matter where they set the levels.
At the CRIT Lab, you study identity changes during life transitions on social media. What have you learned about how people manage major identity shifts online?
– One of the things that surprised me at first is that the most common practice when a person experiences a major life transition is not to disclose it on social media. Of course, with more negative life transitions (e.g., divorce, losing a job), people are even less likely to disclose online. As much as disclosing personal information can have positive impacts on well-being, people tend not to feel very safe sharing online. I think this effect has increased as we have moved toward an online culture geared mostly toward content creators vs. content consumers, rather than a space where everyone feels welcome to share.
Your current project explores intentionally small online communities. How can “scaling down” help create safer and more supportive digital spaces compared to large social media platforms?
– A lot of the content moderation problems that I mentioned earlier tend to become less prevalent, or even disappear completely, in intentionally small online communities. In large online spaces (e.g., X, TikTok), it is possible to form communities, but it’s a challenge because it’s hard to build up “walls” between your community and those who aim to harm you. In small online communities, you can much more easily vet people and surround yourself with people who share your values, and then you can create community guidelines and content moderation policies that align with those values. Of course, you then run the risk of creating “echo chambers” where you are mostly hearing things you already agree with, but regardless I think the benefits of having safe online spaces outweigh the negatives.
You are currently a Scholar-in-Residence at Digital Futures in Stockholm. How does being in Stockholm and collaborating with researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology—including your host Rob Comber—shape your research or open new opportunities for collaboration?
– I have loved being in Stockholm and at Digital Futures! I’ve been able to work with KTH researchers to organize our recent workshop about feminist approaches to considering AI use in gendered health contexts, and I’m looking forward to continuing that work. There’s such an amazing community of scholars here in Stockholm who are working on really interesting projects, and I’m very happy to be a part of that community this year.
