Twitter & Facebook Ban ‘Abusive’ Posts Wishing For Donald Trump’s Death
Image via Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com
Following Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Twitter has come forward with a clear message: anyone who openly wishes death upon others will be removed.
Donald Trump and his wife Melania announced that they tested positive for coronavirus, several Twitter users wished them well, but others did not feel the same way. Twitter told Motherboard that users who express desire for someone to die will be suspended under the “abusive behavior” rule, which has been in place since April.
“Content that wishes, hopes or expresses a desire for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against an individual is against out roles,” the social media platform said.
Twitter also asked users to report any form of abuse or harassment on the platform. It is still unclear how the rule will be enforced, as a number of social media users have taken to the social network to send ill wishes to the president and the first lady.
Twitter, however, told Motherboard that it “won’t take enforcement action on every tweet.”
“We’re prioritizing the removal of content when it has a clear call to action that could potentially cause real-world harm,” Twitter explained.
Facebook has also taken the same step, stating that it will remove posts wishing for the death of the president. Facebook’s spokesperson Liz Bourgeois tweeted, “To be clear, Facebook is removing death threats or content targeted directly at the president that wishes him death, including comments on his posts or his page-in addition to content tagging him.”
tweets that wish or hope for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against *anyone* are not allowed and will need to be removed. this does not automatically mean suspension. https://t.co/lQ8wWGL2y0 https://t.co/P2vGfUeUQf
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) October 2, 2020
To be clear, Facebook is removing death threats or content targeted directly at the president that wishes him death, including comments on his posts or his page - in addition to content tagging him. https://t.co/9eVkO1xXIs
— Liz Bourgeois (@Liz_Shepherd) October 3, 2020
[via New York Post, cover image via Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com]
Also check out these recent news
