Twitter will label tweets that violate rules against hate speech – 04/17/2023 – Tech

Twitter announced on Monday (17) that it will label tweets that violate the rules against hate speech on the platform. The measure, according to the social network, seeks to increase transparency in relation to content inspection.

“Restricting the reach of tweets, or viewability filtering, is a measure that allows us to move beyond the ‘leave vs. remove’ binary approach to content moderation. However, like other social networks, we have historically not been transparent when we take this approach. action,” the company said.

Tagged posts have reduced visibility and reach. Labels will only be applied to tweets that violate the code of conduct and will not affect the user’s account. According to the company, there will be no ads next to tweets with the warning.

Twitter classifies content as hate speech when it includes threats of violence, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination against individuals or minorities based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, disability, or serious illness .

The update, according to Twitter, is a way to reinforce the motto “Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach” (freedom of expression, not freedom of reach).

Twitter even said it will allow authors to send feedback when they disagree with the decision to limit the reach of a tweet. The social network also stated that it is working on a way for the authors of the tweets to appeal the decision.

While the warning only applies to tweets that violate the platform’s anti-hate speech rules, it will extend to other areas in the coming months. Other categories included in Twitter’s rules are violent speech, child sexual exploitation, harassment, perpetrators of violent attacks and suicide.

Discomfort in meeting

Last week, Twitter’s positioning caused discomfort in a meeting promoted by the Ministry of Justice with representatives of social networks. During the meeting, which was attended by representatives of YouTube, Meta, Twitter, Kwai, TikTok, WhatsApp and Google, the folder asked that platforms combat more efficiently profiles that advocate violence or threaten schools.

Twitter’s representative said, however, that disclosing photos and names of perpetrators of attacks on schools does not violate the platform’s rules. Thus, the company understands that it does not need to do anything because the terms of use allow the disclosure of material of this type.

Government members and representatives of other platforms were embarrassed and uncomfortable with the situation, according to reports. Faced with the situation, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino (PSB), raised the tone and said that the terms of use do not overlap with the Constitution and laws and are not larger than the lives of children and adolescents.