Twitter’s promised clampdown on hate and abuse begins today

Twitter’s promised new rules designed to tackle abusive tweets and posts by hate groups kick in today. The company first vowed to do more back in October, in response to a #WomenBoycottTwitter protest …

The company said that specific threats against both individuals and groups of people were already prohibited, but that it would now be doing more to oppose violence.

• Accounts that affiliate with organizations that use or promote violence against civilians to further their causes. Groups included in this policy will be those that identify as such or engage in activity — both on and off the platform — that promotes violence. This policy does not apply to military or government entities and we will consider exceptions for groups that are currently engaging in (or have engaged in) peaceful resolution.
• Content that glorifies violence or the perpetrators of a violent act. This includes celebrating any violent act in a manner that may inspire others to replicate it or any violence where people were targeted because of their membership in a protected group. We will require offending Tweets to be removed and repeated violations will result in permanent suspension.

Twitter will now also be permanently suspending any account whose profile threatens or insults others.

Any account that abuses or threatens others through their profile information, including their username, display name, or profile bio. If an account’s profile information includes a violent threat or multiple slurs, epithets, racist or sexist tropes, incites fear, or reduces someone to less than human, it will be permanently suspended.

Finally, hateful imagery will now fall under the existing ‘sensitive media’ clause, in which Twitter can demand its removal.

We consider hateful imagery to be logos, symbols, or images whose purpose is to promote hostility and malice against others based on their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.

The company implies that it will be erring on the side of caution in enforcing these policies, and is therefore working on a ‘robust appeals process.’

Twitter last week announced official support for tweetstorms.

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