Over the last 24 hours, we’ve received significant feedback (from critical to supportive) about how we enforced our Hacked Materials Policy yesterday. After reflecting on this feedback, we have decided to make changes to the policy and how we enforce it.
Conversation
Why the changes? We want to address the concerns that there could be many unintended consequences to journalists, whistleblowers and others in ways that are contrary to Twitter’s purpose of serving the public conversation.
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We put the Hacked Materials Policy in place back in 2018 to discourage and mitigate harms associated with hacks and unauthorized exposure of private information. We tried to find the right balance between people’s privacy and the right of free expression, but we can do better.
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We’ve recently added new product capabilities, such as labels to provide people with additional context. We are no longer limited to Tweet removal as an enforcement action.
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We believe that labeling Tweets and empowering people to assess content for themselves better serves the public interest and public conversation. The Hacked Material Policy is being updated to reflect these new enforcement capabilities.
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So, what’s changing?
1. We will no longer remove hacked content unless it is directly shared by hackers or those acting in concert with them
2. We will label Tweets to provide context instead of blocking links from being shared on Twitter
All the other Twitter Rules will still apply to the posting of or linking to hacked materials, such as our rules against posting private information, synthetic and manipulated media, and non-consensual nudity.
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I’m grateful for everyone who has provided feedback and insights over the past day. Content moderation is incredibly difficult, especially in the critical context of an election. We are trying to act responsibly & quickly to prevent harms, but we’re still learning along the way.
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We will continue to keep you all updated on our progress and more details as we update our policy pages to reflect these changes in the coming days.
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The content you removed wasn't hacked. The content you removed identifies you as a partisan. We watched breathlessly entered Tweets about Russia, and your efforts to make that the real story when it wasn't. You've abused your privilege. What you did to fix it isn't enough.
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RIGHT *after* the Town Hall events. Convenient, Vijaya. Super convenient.
You *know* hacking was not involved.
Surrendered property. Period.
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We don't need the labels. It's condescending that Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and everyone else, think we need 'labels' or 'guides' or any other 'context'. I don't need you telling me WHAT to think. I'll make my own judgements. It's arrogance that you do this.
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How do you know if something is hacked? Remember a week ago Steve Scully saying he was hacked and now he said he lied?
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It seems to me one way to simplify Twitter’s policy is to refuse to engage in the distribution of materials which US Intelligence advises is most likely the product of a deliberate disinformation campaign. Which they have done with the NY Post story.
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In this case was the NY Post acting in concert with the hackers? Was Giuliani?
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