On its website, the microblogging site announced an update to its existing private information policy as well as an expansion of its scope to encompass "private media," which was announced yesterday. The misuse of private media can have a negative impact on anyone, but it has a disproportionate impact on women, activists, dissidents, and members of minority populations, according to the report.
Currently, according to the company's policy, it is not permitted to publish other people's private information such as their phone numbers, addresses and identification. This includes threatening to expose private information or incentivizing others to do so.
"As part of our continued efforts to design solutions with privacy and security at their core, we're amending our existing private information policy and increasing its scope to encompass "private media," according to the statement. As a result of our existing policy, it is already prohibited on Twitter to post other people's private information, such as their phone numbers, addresses, and ID numbers. This involves threatening to disclose private information or enticing people to disclose private information on their own.
A rising number of people are concerned about the misuse of media and information that is not readily available elsewhere on the internet as a weapon to harass or intimidate people or to uncover their identity. If someone shares their personal material, such as photographs or videos, it has the potential to infringe on that person's privacy and cause them mental or physical harm. Although the misuse of private media can have an impact on anybody, women, activists, dissidents, and members of minority populations are more likely to be harmed than the general public. After receiving a notification that a Tweet contains prohibited private media, we will now take action in accordance with our available enforcement options, such as suspending the account.
Our existing policies and Twitter guidelines address specific instances of abusive behavior, but this update will allow us to take action against media that is shared without any explicit abusive content, as long as the media is posted without the consent of the individual depicted." We are doing this as part of our continuous efforts to match our safety regulations with human rights standards, and it will be enforced around the world beginning immediately.
We require a first-person report or a report from an authorized representative in order to determine whether or not private information or media has been disseminated on Twitter without their permission." Find out more about how to report on Twitter.
When we receive notification from the individuals featured, or from their authorized representative, that they did not consent to their private photograph or video being posted, we will remove the content. Media showcasing prominent figures or individuals, as well as the accompanying tweet language, are exempt from this policy if they are disseminated in the public interest or bring value to public dialogue.
"However, if the broadcast of private photos of public figures or persons who are participants in public conversations is intended to harass, intimidate, or use fear to silence them, we may remove the content in accordance with our policy against abusive behavior.
Additionally, private nude photographs of public individuals will continue to be actioned under our non-consensual nudity policy as long as the individual consents.
This is acknowledged in instances where account holders may share images or videos of private individuals in an effort to assist someone who is involved in a crisis situation, such as in the aftermath of a violent event, or as part of a newsworthy event due to its public interest value, and that this may outweigh the risks to the person's safety in those situations.
"We will always make an effort to determine the context in which the content is shared, and in some situations, we may decide to allow the photographs or videos to remain on the site." If an image is publicly available and/or has been covered by mainstream/traditional media (newspapers, television channels, online news sites), we would consider whether the image and accompanying tweet text adds value to public discourse, is being shared in the public interest, or is relevant to the community.
Source: sun news
