Twitter to Release Strict New Rules to Fight Hate, Abuse & Harassment

According to an internally leaked email, Twitter aims to invest heavily in providing its users with prompt response in cases where abuse is reported.

The company also aims to make the forum safer for its users by ensuring strict actions against hate speech, violence and abuse.

While the email does not clearly specify the steps that Twitter shall take, it does provide the kernel of its intentions.

Twitter to Broaden Its Rules

Twitter says that in light of its new rules, abuse or hate that might have gone unnoticed previously shall now be taken strict action against. The microblogging site claims that not only tweets that promote threats will be banned but tweets that “glorify violence” shall be banned too.

The company claims that reports regarding unwanted sexual advances will now undergo thorough consideration.

Twitter also aims to deal with the issue of hate groups. “At a high level, we will take enforcement action against organizations that use/have historically used violence as a means to advance their cause,” said the email.

“We would rather error on the side of protecting victims.”

Twitter will now also remove hidden camera footage and “creepshots” upon receiving complaints.

By decreasing the turnaround time on reviews, the company hopes to provide its users with quick responses and hence deal with users’ reports more efficiently.

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While the updates are definitely an improvement over to the current system, it is not clear how profoundly the company will be able to achieve its goals with its intended actions.

Its policy regarding sexual advances, for example – is not much different than its previous policy regarding it. However, it does improvise on the reporting process.

The updates are basically a way of facilitating the moderators to remove hateful tweets and ban offenders and will be released later in the week according to Twitter.

Twitter’s new advances are definitely a step forward, though their success shall only be determined by the company’s responsiveness to claims of hate and abuse.

Via TheVerge