Twitter Receives Backlash After Warning About Tweets on Trump's Death, Rules on User Suspension
Twitter said tweets wishing for President Donald Trump's death from COVID-19 violates their policies and can result in user suspension.
Trump received wishes for a speedy recovery, but was also followed by Twitter users hoping for his death from the disease.
As Twitter reminded its users, to wish for anyone's death on their platform is against their rules. So naturally, it also applies with Trump as the subject of death wishes.
In other words: You can't tweet that you hope Trump dies from the coronavirus.
Was Twitter Being 'Hypocritical'?
"Tweets that wish or hope for death, serious bodily harm, or fatal disease against anyone are not allowed and will need to be removed," the company added.
They reiterated that such tweets go against their "Abusive Behavior Policy."
Twitter wanted to make sure this rule was enforced, as Motherboard reported. But the move resulted in an abundance of backlash from various corners of the internet.
The company's statement, published on Friday, sparked backlash from its own users. Many described the move as "hypocritical," said a Business Insider report.
People in marginalized communities were surprised by the announcement. They claimed they experienced frequent abuse on the platform.
Evan Greer said in a report from The Guardian that, as a trans woman, she receives Twitter death threats on a "weekly, sometimes daily basis".
For Greer, it felt like Big Tech only had select rules for moderation: "always protect the powerful and silence the marginalized."
Twitter clarified that it has a "clear call to action" when it comes to matters that could possibly cause "real-world harm." The company also made it clear that people will not get an automatic suspension from such tweets.
But they warned that getting suspended is a possibility.
As for the rule warning, some people online have found some creative ways to censor themselves without missing the sentiment. So this also begs the question: How will Twitter enforce this?
How Will Twitter Determine Who Gets Suspended?
It is not yet clear how the company plans to suspend users. But the rule has been around since April.
Other social media sites, Facebook and TikTok, also posted announcements on posts of the same nature.
They warned that these posts can be removed for violating their user guidelines, a report from CBS News said.
Twitter asked its users to report any form of abuse or harassment on the platform, so perhaps their enforcement starts from that step.
There is some information of rule enforcement on Twitter's help page that may help people get an idea on how the rule could be enforced.
Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeous said in a tweet Friday that they will also be removing death threats. This will include content directly tagging the president, targeting him, or comments on his posts or page.
A spokesperson also confirmed its enforcement of the rule on Saturday morning. They said content what "wishes the death of any person" is against their community guidelines. As such, they will remove any content of that nature as they "become aware of it."
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