Twitter Unveils New Policy; To Lock Trolls' Accounts

Twitter and trolls are linked so firmly that one cannot talk about the social media giant without discussing the other. In fact, it was this morning when our Ideas Editor Kiran Manral tweeted from her profile -- what she received in the garb of response -- a hateful comment.

Manral had responded to a Patanjali ad that called dark complexion, dry skin and wrinkles “skin ailments”. To this, a certain @Subrat_G responded saying, “You need acid face wash”. More than a hateful comment, it looked like a threat and Manral readily reported it.

Dry skin, dark complexion and wrinkles are AILMENTS? #SlowClap Patanjali https://t.co/wcb6eFh6iZ

— Kiran Manral (@KiranManral) December 17, 2017

Twitter took quick note of the situation and blocked the account. The social media company also sent Manral an email saying, “We have reviewed the account you reported and have locked it because we found it to be in violation of the Twitter Rules.”

Thanks @Twitter That was quick. pic.twitter.com/p8jILS6ac5

— Kiran Manral (@KiranManral) December 17, 2017

Later in the day, Twitter announced that it has started to reprimand accounts that display “hateful comments and imagery”.  The social media platform will also lock the profiles of those who use “username, display name, or profile bio to engage in abusive behaviour.”

Today, we are starting to enforce updates to the Twitter Rules and media policy to reduce hateful conduct and abusive behavior https://t.co/yNHAMFcVwG

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) December 18, 2017

We’ve implemented new signals in our review process to give us context around relationships between accounts in reported Tweets.

Also, when we notify a witness that we’ve taken an action based on their report, we will soon share which policy was violated in the notification.

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) December 14, 2017

By doing this, Twitter wants to combat widespread trolling, which has also become a breeding ground for offline protests and attacks globally. Its new policy looks to prohibit, “specific threats of violence or wish for the serious physical harm, death, or disease of an individual or group of people".

Twitter is the platform that has truly brought common people and celebrities on one equal platform. But this has also opened the gates to hate and abuse from several people in the online space. This is where Twitter's new policies are going to be of impact

“You also may not affiliate with organizations that — whether by their own statements or activity both on and off the platform — use or promote violence against civilians to further their causes,” Twitter's policy says, Recode reported.

ALSO READ: The Misconceptions about Internet Trolling and Threatening

This is not it. One of the other new rules of Twitter also includes stripping people of their famous blue tick marks if they indulge in hate-mongering on the portal.

For a long time, Twitter has courted controversy for being the first platform for fake news, threats and cyber-bullying. It is the platform that has truly brought common people and celebrities on one equal platform. But this has also opened the gates to hate and abuse from several people in the online space.

These new policies will hopefully try and control abuse on the platform.

Picture credit- Geekwire

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