Twitter changes usage rules; strictly prohibits posting revenge porn on site

New Delhi: Twitter has changed its usage rules to better address the grave concern of revenge porn posted on its site. The microblogging site now clearly warns against posting of revenge porn or other non-consensual, intimate photos on its platform.

On its Twitter Rules page, the site tells users that images or videos that are considered and treated as private under applicable laws will be treated as personal information and posting of such material will be in violation of the site's policy. It further puts intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject's consent as offending the usage rules.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo had issued a company-wide memo in which he admitted that the platform 'sucked at' addressing the issue of online abuse. A report on BuzzFeed further elaborated on the recent update in Twitter rules and stated that users can now report possible violations through Twitter's usual reporting process without relying on the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act).

If you find a post offensive then you can put in the request for its takedown. Twitter will then review your request and verify if the claims made are authentic. If the post/user in question thinks that the particular content is incorrectly considered a threat or abuse, then they can appeal the decision which will be again reviewed by the Twitter agents. Twitter will hide that post from public view and review the requests from both the sides.

Photos or videos that do not appear to violate the policy, such as content that an individual has previously indicated was made publicly available with permission, will not be actioned. The Twitter Trust & Safety Team will offer 24X7 support and take action in response to specific images or videos considered in violation of the new policy.

Twitter has also said that it will provide the IP address of the offender's account to the victim or the law enforcement agencies, only if and when required by valid legal processes.

Those who are found to have posted content with the intent of harassing another user, Twitter will lock down their accounts or suspend them, and require them to delete the content before being able to get back on the service. The company further said that it will continue to explore technology that will help in disabling reposting of offensive content anywhere on its site.