📖 Content moderation glossary
Sentiment vs toxicity: what is the difference?
In short
Sentiment describes the emotional polarity of a message (positive, neutral or negative), while toxicity describes whether it is abusive; a negative comment is not necessarily toxic, and a toxic one can look positive.
Sentiment analysis is a marketing tool: it measures how people feel about a product, a campaign or an announcement. Toxicity detection is a moderation tool: it identifies insults, threats and attacks. The two are often confused, with harmful results.
Example: 'Your customer service is the worst I have ever dealt with, three weeks without an answer' is strongly negative but legitimate: it should stay visible and be answered. 'Great post, now go back to your country' sounds positive at first but is hateful.
Moderating on sentiment means removing criticism, which customers notice and which can turn a complaint into a public controversy. OpenModeration moderates on the client's rules, keeps criticism visible and hides clear violations.