Twitter CEO Pledges Tougher Rules on Hate Speech, Violence

Twitter will tighten rules on issues including hate speech amid a boycott over handling of Rose McGowan’s postings on Harvey Weinstein and criticism of its approach to users who target women with sexual or violent content, according to Bloomberg.

“We decided to take a more aggressive stance in our rules and how we enforce them,“ CEO Jack Dorsey said in a tweet. The platform will introduce new rules in the next few weeks on unwanted sexual advances, non-consensual nudity, hate symbols, violent groups and postings that glorify violence, Dorsey said.

Celebrities were among those to join a boycott of the platform after Twitter briefly suspended McGowan’s account. She had posted a series of messages related to allegations Weinstein sexually assaulted multiple women and says she was among the victims. Twitter said her account had been temporarily locked because one of her tweets included a private phone number, which violates its terms of service.

Critics have contrasted Twitter’s swift action in suspending McGowan with what they charge has been a more sluggish approach to tackling users who troll others with sexual and violent messages. The platform has also been warned that in silencing any sexual assault victim, others may be discouraged from reporting their experiences.

Progress has been made in efforts to prevent “voices being silenced on Twitter,“ which has been a top priority for the company this year, Dorsey said. However, the protest had shown that users believe the company was still not doing enough, he said. Twitter’s approach to policing content has been under more intense scrutiny in recent months. Users have debated the company’s decision not to suspend President Donald Trump after tweets that they argue violate the platform’s terms of service.