Twitter has struggled with how to deal with harassment and abuse on its service for years. Former CEO Dick Costolo went so far as to say, “We suck at dealing with abuse” and vowed to make improvements. Some of Twitter’s previous efforts in managing online harassment and abuse, particularly those that give users more control over what they see, have garnered our praise in the past. Allowing users to export and share block lists, for instance, marked an important step in that direction. However, Twitter’s latest announcement gives us some reason for concern. Last Wednesday, Twitter announced that it is updating their rules to clarify what it considers to be “abusive behavior and hateful conduct.” “The updated language emphasizes that Twitter will not tolerate behavior intended to harass, intimidate, or use fear to silence another user’s voice. As always, we embrace and encourage diverse opinions and beliefs – but we will…
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