A new year brings a big move for social media website Twitter who has revealed it will now ban any account that uses homophobic and transphobic language. Megan Cristina, Director of Twitter’s Trust and Safety says ‘As always, we embrace and encourage diverse opinions and beliefs, but we will continue to take action on accounts that cross the line into abuse.” The new rules clarify that users “may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability or disease.” The rule change comes as Twitter faces criticism for failing to protect victims of abuse on the social media website. Most notably the changes follow the death of a 16-year-old trans girl, Taylor Alasna, who committed suicide last April and who had said she was being bullied and sent transphobic Twitter messages.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 6th January 2016 - 11:58am