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June 29, 2019 9:15 AM Subscribe
Twitter Officially Has Separate Rules for Politicians [Vice]
The tweets of prominent politicians such as President Trump will now be governed by a separate set of rules than average users, Twitter announced on Thursday. The platform is rolling out new criteria for government officials who violate Twitter’s guidelines, which formalizes a process for preserving tweets that are deemed to be of “public interest.” [...] Tweets that are determined as being of public interest will remain up with a customized disclaimer that users will have to click through to view. The notice will change depending on the rule that’s been violated. Once a notice has been attached to a tweet, that user will not be able to appeal the decision, said Twitter’s spokesperson.
• Twitter Will Quarantine Politicians’ Tweets If They Violate Rules—Finally [Wired]
“In the past, we’ve allowed certain Tweets that violated our rules to remain on Twitter because they were in the public’s interest, but it wasn’t clear when and how we made those determinations. To fix that, we’re introducing a new notice that will provide additional clarity in these situations, and sharing more on when and why we’ll use it.” the company said in a blog post.
The tweets of prominent politicians such as President Trump will now be governed by a separate set of rules than average users, Twitter announced on Thursday. The platform is rolling out new criteria for government officials who violate Twitter’s guidelines, which formalizes a process for preserving tweets that are deemed to be of “public interest.” [...] Tweets that are determined as being of public interest will remain up with a customized disclaimer that users will have to click through to view. The notice will change depending on the rule that’s been violated. Once a notice has been attached to a tweet, that user will not be able to appeal the decision, said Twitter’s spokesperson.
• Twitter Will Quarantine Politicians’ Tweets If They Violate Rules—Finally [Wired]
“When asked about the efficiency of such an approach—which is significantly more complicated than Twitter’s existing, notoriously inconsistent moderation flow—the spokesperson pointed to the high number of factors at play in high-profile scenarios. “If a rule has been broken we want to make sure that we are reaching that decision as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said. “We also want to make sure that it's the right call to make, because this is something that, as you can imagine, the very first time that we use it, it will garner a lot of attention.””• Twitter clarifies special rules for tweets by world leaders like Trump [Ars Technica]
“This won't just be a tag next to the tweet—users will have to click through the notice before they can see the tweet itself. The new system will only apply to government officials with verified accounts and more than 100,000 followers. That includes Donald Trump and a number of other officials, both in the United States and overseas. Twitter will take other steps to limit the distribution of tweets that receive this kind of notice. They won't be featured as top tweets on a user's Twitter timeline, in "safe search" results, or in "recommended tweet" push notifications. "This notice won't be applied to any Tweets sent before today and, given the conditions outlined above, it's unlikely you'll encounter it often," Twitter says. "We cannot predict the first time it will be used."”
So Twitter selects for populist extremists. They're not even trying to be not-fascist any more.
posted by scruss at 9:35 AM on June 29, 2019 [34 favorites]
posted by scruss at 9:35 AM on June 29, 2019 [34 favorites]
just delete the offender's account
I do think it would be precipitous for Twitter to claim that degree of sovereignty at this juncture. Patience!
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 9:38 AM on June 29, 2019
I do think it would be precipitous for Twitter to claim that degree of sovereignty at this juncture. Patience!
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 9:38 AM on June 29, 2019
just delete the offender's account twitter
Fixed.
posted by Fizz at 9:39 AM on June 29, 2019 [48 favorites]
Fixed.
posted by Fizz at 9:39 AM on June 29, 2019 [48 favorites]
Looking forward to the first politician to learn how the Streisand effect works.
I mean, if there was a way to just see which tweets got a disclaimer so I could follow the reactions, that would probably be informative.
posted by flamewise at 9:40 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I mean, if there was a way to just see which tweets got a disclaimer so I could follow the reactions, that would probably be informative.
posted by flamewise at 9:40 AM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
/Strongly suspects the *kind* of “politician” is a factor too.
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
For those that do still have the fortitude to endure twitter, it'll make unfollowing trolls/bigots/assholes fairly easy.
posted by Fizz at 9:41 AM on June 29, 2019
posted by Fizz at 9:41 AM on June 29, 2019
hello i would like to announce that i am running for President of the United States of America under the banner of the Never Tweet Party
posted by murphy slaw at 9:46 AM on June 29, 2019 [19 favorites]
posted by murphy slaw at 9:46 AM on June 29, 2019 [19 favorites]
Literally the only reason they're doing this is because they want to have their cake and eat their quarterly profits. Read Twitter's SEC filings. They are very explicit that having prominent people, including politicians, active on the service is integral to the business model.
posted by mostly vowels at 9:49 AM on June 29, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by mostly vowels at 9:49 AM on June 29, 2019 [14 favorites]
Some Tweets are more equal than others.
posted by cazoo at 10:01 AM on June 29, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by cazoo at 10:01 AM on June 29, 2019 [13 favorites]
Social media was a mistake.
posted by Fizz at 10:02 AM on June 29, 2019 [44 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 10:02 AM on June 29, 2019 [44 favorites]
more like ANTI-social media amirite
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:12 AM on June 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:12 AM on June 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
Will those people be allowed to delete Tweets that were judged to be "in the public interest"?
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 10:12 AM on June 29, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 10:12 AM on June 29, 2019 [14 favorites]
Imagine having really specific data on not just the reach of a "restricted" tweet, but knowing how many people went ahead and viewed it. Guh.
Social media: decent idea, maybe, but ultimately horrible.
posted by hijinx at 10:24 AM on June 29, 2019
Social media: decent idea, maybe, but ultimately horrible.
posted by hijinx at 10:24 AM on June 29, 2019
The striesand effect will mean these quarantined tweets will get even more attention than normal.
A better approach would be to just make it so that 'verified' accounts are not allowed to delete their tweets, that would hopefully force them into giving things a bit more consideration before they tweet.
I bet this is more about Elon Musk than the 45's inane tweeting.
posted by Lanark at 10:27 AM on June 29, 2019 [8 favorites]
A better approach would be to just make it so that 'verified' accounts are not allowed to delete their tweets, that would hopefully force them into giving things a bit more consideration before they tweet.
I bet this is more about Elon Musk than the 45's inane tweeting.
posted by Lanark at 10:27 AM on June 29, 2019 [8 favorites]
And you know that they'll flag certain people of color, queer people, and other vulnerable or disenfranchised individuals while refusing to flag someone like Trump or his white nationalist ilk. We'll see the double-standards really fly. Ugh. Just thinking about this makes me feel ill.
posted by Fizz at 10:28 AM on June 29, 2019 [17 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 10:28 AM on June 29, 2019 [17 favorites]
It’s not the communication venue we need, but it’s the one we deserve.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:29 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:29 AM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
Surprised this tag isn't more frequently used.
posted by peeedro at 10:49 AM on June 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by peeedro at 10:49 AM on June 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
Hard to find a company that's more obviously run by cowards.
posted by mhoye at 10:50 AM on June 29, 2019 [20 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 10:50 AM on June 29, 2019 [20 favorites]
Possibly not a great sign when my only reaction to this was to laugh painfully.
posted by schadenfrau at 10:56 AM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by schadenfrau at 10:56 AM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
Political tweets should be tagged with fact-checking results, with efforts focused on checking higher offices faster.
posted by pracowity at 10:59 AM on June 29, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 10:59 AM on June 29, 2019 [10 favorites]
Social media isn't, in itself, a mistake, I don't think. But letting social media be owned by large publicly traded or VC-funded corporations is a mistake. And letting social media evolve in a virtually unregulated free-for-all is a mistake, definitely.
Social media, like print and broadcast media before them, have quickly become vital public resources. Even if they were a mistake, well, we're stuck with them, as far as I can see. So I think we need to regulate all of our media properly, primarily by breaking up all the empires and transfering ownership of at least the most vital aspects of social media to bodies that are genuinely susceptible to democratic regulation.
I am well aware that the above almost certainly requires the end of globalised capitalism. But so would getting rid of social media I guess.
It is shitty that something which is enjoyable and useful to many people, and which has the potential to be an overall force for good, is so susceptible to abuse by "market forces" and people who think they're an excuse for allowing any conduct as long as it is by the powerful. But that all applies to every medium of mass communication ever, I think.
posted by howfar at 11:14 AM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
Social media, like print and broadcast media before them, have quickly become vital public resources. Even if they were a mistake, well, we're stuck with them, as far as I can see. So I think we need to regulate all of our media properly, primarily by breaking up all the empires and transfering ownership of at least the most vital aspects of social media to bodies that are genuinely susceptible to democratic regulation.
I am well aware that the above almost certainly requires the end of globalised capitalism. But so would getting rid of social media I guess.
It is shitty that something which is enjoyable and useful to many people, and which has the potential to be an overall force for good, is so susceptible to abuse by "market forces" and people who think they're an excuse for allowing any conduct as long as it is by the powerful. But that all applies to every medium of mass communication ever, I think.
posted by howfar at 11:14 AM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
Will those people be allowed to delete Tweets that were judged to be "in the public interest"? - Kid Charlemagne
Good question. Will the Library of Congress have copies?
posted by doctornemo at 11:40 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
Good question. Will the Library of Congress have copies?
posted by doctornemo at 11:40 AM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
Social media was a mistake.
Social media are the Great Filter.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:56 AM on June 29, 2019 [9 favorites]
Social media are the Great Filter.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:56 AM on June 29, 2019 [9 favorites]
Twitter is such a simple concept. Short snippets of text written by people, going out to anyone who has signed up to hear from their author. With the freedom to choose who to follow, and filters that allow you to block tweets containing certain words, Twitter can be anything you want it to be. And it’s got enough reach that most of the people you want to hear from are on there. I think that’s pretty cool.
Predictably, some people will abuse the system. And even if everyone tried to behave, moderation will be tricky on such a global platform, as we know even from here at Metafilter. But there’s enough flexibility in the platform that you can design your own experience of Twitter that is mostly devoid of things you don’t want to see (it’s such a large platform that it’s not possible to see everything, anyway.)
What I’m getting from this guidelines change is that every tweet that breaks Twitter’s rules will be treated, whether that’s full deletion or burying it behind a consent wall. I think that’s a step in the right direction. If a politician generates news with a tweet that is then removed from Twitter, people will have to look elsewhere to see what the body of the tweet was, which would lead to “fake news” problems. I’d prefer that the tweet stay on Twitter but be quarantined off from any of Twitter’s algorithms.
posted by mantecol at 12:06 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Predictably, some people will abuse the system. And even if everyone tried to behave, moderation will be tricky on such a global platform, as we know even from here at Metafilter. But there’s enough flexibility in the platform that you can design your own experience of Twitter that is mostly devoid of things you don’t want to see (it’s such a large platform that it’s not possible to see everything, anyway.)
What I’m getting from this guidelines change is that every tweet that breaks Twitter’s rules will be treated, whether that’s full deletion or burying it behind a consent wall. I think that’s a step in the right direction. If a politician generates news with a tweet that is then removed from Twitter, people will have to look elsewhere to see what the body of the tweet was, which would lead to “fake news” problems. I’d prefer that the tweet stay on Twitter but be quarantined off from any of Twitter’s algorithms.
posted by mantecol at 12:06 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
The trick now is that we all have to become politicians.
posted by srboisvert at 12:20 PM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 12:20 PM on June 29, 2019 [7 favorites]
Social media was a mistake.
Social media are the Great Filter.
So Called Media wassa Grief Flirter Mist Stake.
[I trained a human being on social media and this is what came out]
posted by srboisvert at 12:25 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Social media are the Great Filter.
So Called Media wassa Grief Flirter Mist Stake.
[I trained a human being on social media and this is what came out]
posted by srboisvert at 12:25 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Not deleting a tweet does have benefits - it's good to be able to go back to the original source and determine that's actually what was said.
But if the problem is that politicians might deny they ever said it, then you also need to prevent them from deleting it. If you want people to think that something was faked, it doesn't make sense for you to willingly leave it up.
Also, it's not like this is an either-or. You don't have to choose between preserving the record and kicking people off of the platform. Twitter could easily implement this quarantining scheme while also revoking the ability to post new tweets, for example. They just don't want to, because as pointed out above, it would hurt their bottom line.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:26 PM on June 29, 2019
But if the problem is that politicians might deny they ever said it, then you also need to prevent them from deleting it. If you want people to think that something was faked, it doesn't make sense for you to willingly leave it up.
Also, it's not like this is an either-or. You don't have to choose between preserving the record and kicking people off of the platform. Twitter could easily implement this quarantining scheme while also revoking the ability to post new tweets, for example. They just don't want to, because as pointed out above, it would hurt their bottom line.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:26 PM on June 29, 2019
Regulating media in a way that serves the public interest does not require the end of global capitalism. We had many such regulations in the past, until they were considered outmoded. The old equal time rule is probably the most widely known in the US, as one example.
There are things we could do to make the social media giants operate in a more publicly beneficial way that are not without past precedent. We've just got to pass the laws. Maybe even not that much, to get a large part of the way there. The FCC has very broad authority over nearly all forms of electronic communications. The trend over the past 50-60 years has been to more narrowly apply their authority in most areas, but the vast majority of that has been mere executive interpretation, not actual changes in law. Electing a President who is as willing to use that power to reinforce the things that bind us together as a society as the radical right wing has been to make use of that power to destroy the social fabric and loot the commonwealth would make a lot of things possible. For too long Democratic presidents have been too bound by ideas of centrism and compromise to actually reverse the deconstruction of our ability to do things for the public good and limited themselves to merely bandaging the wound instead of treating the illness.
posted by wierdo at 12:39 PM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
There are things we could do to make the social media giants operate in a more publicly beneficial way that are not without past precedent. We've just got to pass the laws. Maybe even not that much, to get a large part of the way there. The FCC has very broad authority over nearly all forms of electronic communications. The trend over the past 50-60 years has been to more narrowly apply their authority in most areas, but the vast majority of that has been mere executive interpretation, not actual changes in law. Electing a President who is as willing to use that power to reinforce the things that bind us together as a society as the radical right wing has been to make use of that power to destroy the social fabric and loot the commonwealth would make a lot of things possible. For too long Democratic presidents have been too bound by ideas of centrism and compromise to actually reverse the deconstruction of our ability to do things for the public good and limited themselves to merely bandaging the wound instead of treating the illness.
posted by wierdo at 12:39 PM on June 29, 2019 [6 favorites]
So, uh...does this mean high-profile trolls like Ben Shapiro are going to be forever "running for office" so that their Twitter feeds are considered political and thus immune to banning?
posted by explosion at 1:22 PM on June 29, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by explosion at 1:22 PM on June 29, 2019 [10 favorites]
So Twitter selects for populist extremists. They're not even trying to be not-fascist any more.
They know where their toast is buttered. With Facebook coming up against federal regulations that their own actions inspired, I doubt Twitter wants that to affect them at all.
posted by rhizome at 1:41 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
They know where their toast is buttered. With Facebook coming up against federal regulations that their own actions inspired, I doubt Twitter wants that to affect them at all.
posted by rhizome at 1:41 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Every day we more clearly approach the situation of Brazil or Italy where political office holds some immunities from prosecution, such that running for office is a valid strategy to escape the law. Witness Trump's DOJ asserting the president is immune from personal lawsuits, even for constitutional crimes, pretending that only the congress can check the executive. Unfortunately when our huge corporate fiefdoms decide they need to impose rules from the boardroom, they cowardly mimic these capitalist assumptions about powerful people needing to be free from interference in order to be effective.
Oh, but we have to balance competing interests in the public sphere, it's so difficult, they seem to be saying? Maybe I am cynical, and I'm afraid I might let moderater authority go to my head, but I think I'd have no problem removing the accounts of unreconstructed jerks. There seems to be an overburden of reactionary thoughtless jerk behavior.
posted by panhopticon at 1:56 PM on June 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
Oh, but we have to balance competing interests in the public sphere, it's so difficult, they seem to be saying? Maybe I am cynical, and I'm afraid I might let moderater authority go to my head, but I think I'd have no problem removing the accounts of unreconstructed jerks. There seems to be an overburden of reactionary thoughtless jerk behavior.
posted by panhopticon at 1:56 PM on June 29, 2019 [5 favorites]
This is literally a bully pulpit.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:06 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:06 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Will the Library of Congress have copies?
As per the Kitchen Sisters’ recent (fascinating) interview with David Ferriero, the 10th Archivist of the United States, the National Archives does (also of the deleted ones).
posted by progosk at 3:08 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
As per the Kitchen Sisters’ recent (fascinating) interview with David Ferriero, the 10th Archivist of the United States, the National Archives does (also of the deleted ones).
posted by progosk at 3:08 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
But there’s enough flexibility in the platform that you can design your own experience of Twitter that is mostly devoid of things you don’t want to see (it’s such a large platform that it’s not possible to see everything, anyway.)
Once again, this is the "if we can't see the toxic waste, it's no longer a problem" argument. Hate continues to be poisonous, even if you aren't seeing it.
posted by NoxAeternum at 3:45 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Once again, this is the "if we can't see the toxic waste, it's no longer a problem" argument. Hate continues to be poisonous, even if you aren't seeing it.
posted by NoxAeternum at 3:45 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Either replace all flagged tweets found to violate rules with dril tweets or don't even pretend that you're providing productive guidance.
posted by delfin at 4:26 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by delfin at 4:26 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
Social media: decent idea, maybe, but ultimately horrible.
Look. I don't want to cast stones or complain, but of horrible ideas - yeah... social media may be one, but there were many horrible ideas before that look like they were good ideas but in reality - resulted in more bad than good. I've got a slight change to your slogan though that I think brings this a little closer to the root cause...
Coming down from the trees: decent idea, maybe, but ultimately horrible.
I mean really... this whole tribal thing, fire, tools, the wheel, civilization... tell me... when are we going to look back and realize that if we'd just stayed in the trees and kept our brains small we'd all feel a whole hell of a lot better eating a banana and occasionally fending off the encroachment of throngs of west african black rhinoceros, passenger pigeons and dodos...
All I'm saying is this is a pretty amazing planet with one major flaw; but, twitter *isn't* the root of it.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:52 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
Look. I don't want to cast stones or complain, but of horrible ideas - yeah... social media may be one, but there were many horrible ideas before that look like they were good ideas but in reality - resulted in more bad than good. I've got a slight change to your slogan though that I think brings this a little closer to the root cause...
Coming down from the trees: decent idea, maybe, but ultimately horrible.
I mean really... this whole tribal thing, fire, tools, the wheel, civilization... tell me... when are we going to look back and realize that if we'd just stayed in the trees and kept our brains small we'd all feel a whole hell of a lot better eating a banana and occasionally fending off the encroachment of throngs of west african black rhinoceros, passenger pigeons and dodos...
All I'm saying is this is a pretty amazing planet with one major flaw; but, twitter *isn't* the root of it.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:52 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
No, it isn't the root, but the people who run Twitter are choosing to make it a tool of those who would destroy the entire project of civilization, and the people they are actually protecting by attempting to placate the public at large are doing a very good job of using it to keep us fighting amongst ourselves and ultimately unable to find common ground long enough to kick the bastards out.
Social media sites could be run in a socially responsible way, and so in that sense are not the root of the problem, but they very much are one of the main means by which we are being attacked and are therefore highly visible symptoms of the underlying problems as well as vectors for infection. Twitter is the cut, the people using it to attack us are the bacteria infecting the wound.
posted by wierdo at 6:09 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Social media sites could be run in a socially responsible way, and so in that sense are not the root of the problem, but they very much are one of the main means by which we are being attacked and are therefore highly visible symptoms of the underlying problems as well as vectors for infection. Twitter is the cut, the people using it to attack us are the bacteria infecting the wound.
posted by wierdo at 6:09 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
What's the quote about the conservative ideal is a outgroup that the law constrains but does not protect, and an ingroup that the law protects but does not constrain? Yeah, that's how Jack and Twitter view the world.
posted by tavella at 6:15 PM on June 29, 2019 [18 favorites]
posted by tavella at 6:15 PM on June 29, 2019 [18 favorites]
Public figures will still have plenty of mainstream media outlets falling over themselves to broadcast their views if social media ceases to exist. It's the rest of us who would lose our ability to route around them and talk to each other.
It's laughable to assume that shutting down Twitter will have any effect on the current president of the United States' ability to spread his hateful views. But sure, spite the ability of the people and communities who get no media representation to be heard because you personally don't understand the complexity and utility of social media.
posted by sarahw at 6:46 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
It's laughable to assume that shutting down Twitter will have any effect on the current president of the United States' ability to spread his hateful views. But sure, spite the ability of the people and communities who get no media representation to be heard because you personally don't understand the complexity and utility of social media.
posted by sarahw at 6:46 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
And you know that they'll flag certain people of color, queer people, and other vulnerable or disenfranchised individuals while refusing to flag someone like Trump or his white nationalist ilk.
Actually, I think the result will be the opposite of that.
posted by davidmsc at 9:25 PM on June 29, 2019
Actually, I think the result will be the opposite of that.
posted by davidmsc at 9:25 PM on June 29, 2019
I'm so tired of trying to get people to understand that for so many people, social media is literally a lifeline. The gut reaction to burn it all down is exhausting.
Yes. Twitter often sucks. Because humans often suck. Because we have a system in this country and around the world of oppression and control. And moderation (run by humans) often sucks. But that doesn't mean the entirety of social media is trash. In fact, there are incredible positive, life changing things that happen due to the power of Twitter. Let alone the "mundane" reality for many of us who otherwise would have limited social connection and access to news or information.
I'm not on Twitter's side. They need to do a lot more to keep users safe and they've shown themselves to be wildly inconsistent or one-sided and part of that generational oppression. But it's an entire society / ethical / privilege / oppression / anything ending in "-ism" issue. Getting rid of Twitter doesn't mean it isn't still happening at your job, in your house, on the street, on the news, on other parts of the internet...
So, please realize that anti-social media views really negatively can affect so many people, myself included. "Burn it all down" ideas without a replacement mean so many marginalized people will be disconnected from everyone and everything around them.
The reality is, this is the social media we have right now and hopefully it can be run better or a better replacement can come along. You're welcome to make your own social media network.
Now, I don't really know how I feel about this. On one hand, having public record of the atrocious (and possible law-breaking) thoughts and ideals of "important figures" has some use. Warnings and blocks have some use. I don't know how to mesh the idea of allowing such people an open platform versus trying to remove or filter them. Afterall, many of those people would then become a version of social media martyrs. It's complicated. And it's not complicated because Twitter made it that way. These are societal issues and discussions going back generations. And because where we are at right now in society is.. well.. a mess still.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:49 PM on June 29, 2019 [13 favorites]
Yes. Twitter often sucks. Because humans often suck. Because we have a system in this country and around the world of oppression and control. And moderation (run by humans) often sucks. But that doesn't mean the entirety of social media is trash. In fact, there are incredible positive, life changing things that happen due to the power of Twitter. Let alone the "mundane" reality for many of us who otherwise would have limited social connection and access to news or information.
I'm not on Twitter's side. They need to do a lot more to keep users safe and they've shown themselves to be wildly inconsistent or one-sided and part of that generational oppression. But it's an entire society / ethical / privilege / oppression / anything ending in "-ism" issue. Getting rid of Twitter doesn't mean it isn't still happening at your job, in your house, on the street, on the news, on other parts of the internet...
So, please realize that anti-social media views really negatively can affect so many people, myself included. "Burn it all down" ideas without a replacement mean so many marginalized people will be disconnected from everyone and everything around them.
The reality is, this is the social media we have right now and hopefully it can be run better or a better replacement can come along. You're welcome to make your own social media network.
Now, I don't really know how I feel about this. On one hand, having public record of the atrocious (and possible law-breaking) thoughts and ideals of "important figures" has some use. Warnings and blocks have some use. I don't know how to mesh the idea of allowing such people an open platform versus trying to remove or filter them. Afterall, many of those people would then become a version of social media martyrs. It's complicated. And it's not complicated because Twitter made it that way. These are societal issues and discussions going back generations. And because where we are at right now in society is.. well.. a mess still.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:49 PM on June 29, 2019 [13 favorites]
The criteria for special consideration:
It's apparently time for activists with verified accounts and more than 100k followers to announce they are running for office.
In the meantime: we need a barrage of reports of every white supremacist, harrassing, and libelous post on Twitter, so they can at least be removed from the recommended tweets collections, and require a clickthrough to read. On a laptop, that's probably easy; on mobile, it may become a hassle, especially if someone's entire dashboard is full of posts that need to be clicked individually to be read.
(No, this is not acceptable. It is not enough. But it's what we have, and we should work with it as much as possible while fighting to get them to change it.)
...Hmm, do they start to lose safe harbor protections by declaring that they're not removing tweets that may contain defamation, harassment, or other illegal content?
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:08 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
- Be or represent a government official, be running for public office, or be considered for a government position (i.e., next in line, awaiting confirmation, named successor to an appointed position);
- Have more than 100,000 followers; and
- Be verified.
It's apparently time for activists with verified accounts and more than 100k followers to announce they are running for office.
In the meantime: we need a barrage of reports of every white supremacist, harrassing, and libelous post on Twitter, so they can at least be removed from the recommended tweets collections, and require a clickthrough to read. On a laptop, that's probably easy; on mobile, it may become a hassle, especially if someone's entire dashboard is full of posts that need to be clicked individually to be read.
(No, this is not acceptable. It is not enough. But it's what we have, and we should work with it as much as possible while fighting to get them to change it.)
...Hmm, do they start to lose safe harbor protections by declaring that they're not removing tweets that may contain defamation, harassment, or other illegal content?
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 1:08 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
"Burn it all down" ideas without a replacement mean so many marginalized people will be disconnected from everyone and everything around them.
100% yes absolutely. I'm under no pretense that Twitter (and Facebook, and, and) is the root of all evil, and getting rid of it solves all the problems. I mean, goodness, of course not.
But we backed ourselves, collectively, into a corner with this stuff. I still feel that there can be a place for social media, but it needs to be something open and democratic and not under any one company's control. Twitter is a private, for-profit enterprise that is attempting to build social norms and structures into it. Same with Facebook. That, really, is fucked up. And leadership at these companies have zero interest in anything outside of pure engagement (and thus, selling ads and data and and and.) Social media does not have to be this way; in fact, the connection and amplification of people who did not have and do not have a voice, especially IRL, is critical.
But that is the same promise that "the internet" carried with it in the 90s. The barrier to entry didn't get low enough fast enough. Facebook (more than Twitter arguably) made that barrier incredibly low. Coding your own site, open networks, Pingbacks, RSS... none of that was as easy, none of it. And this is the price we pay, now. Completely closed and walled gardens in order to achieve the internet's promise. Not a fan.
You're welcome to make your own social media network.
Certainly. Or go elsewhere, right? Because those "elsewheres" do still exist. But make no mistake: Twitter and Facebook are the internet for millions of people (not just the web – the internet.) And because we've collectively allowed giant companies to run with this concept and literally own it, it will either take burning them down and rebuilding or someone/some org with buckets of money to replace it. Or intense, overdue regulation.
I stand by my original statement. No need to slap on comical hyperbole about not climbing down from trees.
posted by hijinx at 6:18 AM on June 30, 2019
100% yes absolutely. I'm under no pretense that Twitter (and Facebook, and, and) is the root of all evil, and getting rid of it solves all the problems. I mean, goodness, of course not.
But we backed ourselves, collectively, into a corner with this stuff. I still feel that there can be a place for social media, but it needs to be something open and democratic and not under any one company's control. Twitter is a private, for-profit enterprise that is attempting to build social norms and structures into it. Same with Facebook. That, really, is fucked up. And leadership at these companies have zero interest in anything outside of pure engagement (and thus, selling ads and data and and and.) Social media does not have to be this way; in fact, the connection and amplification of people who did not have and do not have a voice, especially IRL, is critical.
But that is the same promise that "the internet" carried with it in the 90s. The barrier to entry didn't get low enough fast enough. Facebook (more than Twitter arguably) made that barrier incredibly low. Coding your own site, open networks, Pingbacks, RSS... none of that was as easy, none of it. And this is the price we pay, now. Completely closed and walled gardens in order to achieve the internet's promise. Not a fan.
You're welcome to make your own social media network.
Certainly. Or go elsewhere, right? Because those "elsewheres" do still exist. But make no mistake: Twitter and Facebook are the internet for millions of people (not just the web – the internet.) And because we've collectively allowed giant companies to run with this concept and literally own it, it will either take burning them down and rebuilding or someone/some org with buckets of money to replace it. Or intense, overdue regulation.
I stand by my original statement. No need to slap on comical hyperbole about not climbing down from trees.
posted by hijinx at 6:18 AM on June 30, 2019
Similarly, Facebook continues to help promote the leader of the "Rapid Support Forces" Sudan — the paramilitary group that attacked thousands of pro-democracy protesters this month because he may be a state actor.
posted by exogenous at 7:19 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by exogenous at 7:19 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
You're welcome to make your own social media network.
Certainly. Or go elsewhere, right? Because those "elsewheres" do still exist. But make no mistake: Twitter and Facebook are the internet for millions of people (not just the web – the internet.)
Well, other folks have tried to create their own networks. Except as far as I've heard, people are not exactly flocking to use them, and if you don't have all your friends and family on the same networks, then it's useless.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:24 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
Certainly. Or go elsewhere, right? Because those "elsewheres" do still exist. But make no mistake: Twitter and Facebook are the internet for millions of people (not just the web – the internet.)
Well, other folks have tried to create their own networks. Except as far as I've heard, people are not exactly flocking to use them, and if you don't have all your friends and family on the same networks, then it's useless.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:24 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
That's the problem with the Fediverse and other "distributed network" social media sites - most of us want All Our People in one spot. And most of them want All Their People in one spot. And so on. And the vast majority of people are willing to tolerate a whole lot of fascists--in the distance, of course, "over there"--as long as they can keep in touch with their people.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 8:45 AM on June 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 8:45 AM on June 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
Twitter and Facebook are global and want to last for decades, and can't, and probably shouldn't, base their policies on what American agnostic professional class leftists in 2019 dislike or don't. And of course, majoritarian and nationalist rhetoric such as Trump's is globally the rule and not the exception. Hard to ban or censor Trump if you don't also ban or censor Modi, Xi, Bolsonaro, Ramaphosa, Erdogan, Mahathir, etc.
posted by MattD at 11:27 AM on June 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by MattD at 11:27 AM on June 30, 2019 [4 favorites]
Some person who is getting comfortably multi-digit paychecks from Twitter sat down and wrote this policy, and likely came up with some self justification to make this feel right to themselves.
It's a sobering reminder to examine our own choices and participation.
posted by latkes at 2:46 PM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
It's a sobering reminder to examine our own choices and participation.
posted by latkes at 2:46 PM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
Every day we more clearly approach the situation of Brazil or Italy where political office holds some immunities from prosecution,
Both of those countries sent their previous president/prime minister to prison, for what it's worth.
posted by romanb at 3:02 PM on June 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Both of those countries sent their previous president/prime minister to prison, for what it's worth.
posted by romanb at 3:02 PM on June 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Yay! More extra rights for the rich and powerful!
Brought to you by capitalism and technocracy!
posted by es_de_bah at 5:30 PM on June 30, 2019
Brought to you by capitalism and technocracy!
posted by es_de_bah at 5:30 PM on June 30, 2019
Twitter will now remove tweets that dehumanize religious groups, July 9
Twitter Backs Off Broad Limits on ‘Dehumanizing’ Speech, July 9
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:16 AM on July 10, 2019
Twitter Backs Off Broad Limits on ‘Dehumanizing’ Speech, July 9
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:16 AM on July 10, 2019
Well that settles that, then. Miniature American flags for everybody!
posted by rhizome at 3:21 PM on July 10, 2019
posted by rhizome at 3:21 PM on July 10, 2019
Twitter is writing new rules when it could just enforce existing ones
That’s all fine as far as it goes, and yet you can still read it and think — really? Twitter banned saying “Jews are vermin” on a Tuesday in 2019? Even for a company that is notorious for moving at a geologic pace, today’s update feels overdue.
It also feels redundant.
posted by Artw at 3:57 PM on July 10, 2019
That’s all fine as far as it goes, and yet you can still read it and think — really? Twitter banned saying “Jews are vermin” on a Tuesday in 2019? Even for a company that is notorious for moving at a geologic pace, today’s update feels overdue.
It also feels redundant.
posted by Artw at 3:57 PM on July 10, 2019
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posted by wordless reply at 9:28 AM on June 29, 2019 [57 favorites]