Don’t Tweet Evil: In Light of UK Threats Twitter Cracks Down On Abuse

Like setting up anonymous Twitter accounts to spew 140 characters of hatred, abuse and threats? Well, Twitter may soon shut you down as part of their commitment to users in light of recent journalist threats. Three female  journalists had recently been the subject of bomb threats in the UK, with two receiving threats of rape. The threats prompted an online petition that called for Twitter to add a “report abuse” button with the petition attracting more than 120,000 users.

Twitter’s Senior Director of Trust and Safety, Del Harvey, and Twitter UK General Manger, Tony Wang, promptly addressed the issue on the Twitter UK blog. In the post they stated:

We have updated the Twitter Rules to clarify that we do not tolerate abusive behaviour. We want people to feel safe on Twitter, and we want the Twitter Rules to send a clear message to anyone who thought that such behaviour was, or could ever be, acceptable.

Additionally, an “In-Tweet” report button has been added within the iOS app and the mobile Web for users to instantly report abuse occurring on the social network. Additionally Harvey and Wang wrote:

“We are committed to making Twitter a safe place for our users … We’re here, and we’re listening to you.”

The new Twitter Rules can be found within the help center and include the following:

Violence and Threats: You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others.

As a policy, we do not mediate content or intervene in disputes between users. However, targeted abuse or harassment may constitute a violation of the Twitter Rules and Terms of Service.

For more information see the official Twitter UK blog post and the new Twitter Rules section.