Home Resource page: Twitter user policies

Resource page: Twitter user policies

By Jon Sutz

Contents

(1) Twitter’s general user rules

(2) Twitter’s prohibition on threatening or glorifying violence

(3) Twitter’s policy regarding violent organizations

(4) Twitter’s policy regarding world leaders’ ability to use Twitter – and why it allows the head of the world’s biggest anti-US terrorist regime to use its service

(5) “Debunking Twitter myths”

(6) Twitter declared that access to the Internet (and suggestively, Twitter) is a “human right”

(1) Twitter’s general user rules

The following are relevant excerpts from Twitter’s general document governing user conduct, The Twitter Rules, which includes prohibitions of:

“Violence: You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence. Learn more about our violent threat and glorification of violence policies.”

“Terrorism/violent extremism: You may not threaten or promote terrorism or violent extremism. Learn more.”

“Hateful conduct: You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease. Learn more.”

(2) Twitter’s prohibition on threatening or glorifying violence

The following are relevant excerpts from Twitter’s page, “Glorification of violence policy”:

“You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence.” […]

“We define glorification to include praising, celebrating, or condoning statements, such as “I’m glad this happened”, “This person is my hero”, “I wish more people did things like this”, or “I hope this inspires others to act”.

“Violations of this policy include, but are not limited to, glorifying, praising, condoning, or celebrating:

      • Violent acts committed by civilians that resulted in death or serious physical injury, e.g., murders, mass shootings;
      • Attacks carried out by terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups (as defined by our terrorism and violent extremism policy); and
      • Violent events that targeted protected groups, e.g., the Holocaust, Rwandan genocide.

(3) Twitter’s policy regarding violent organizations

The following are relevant excerpts from Twitter’s “Violent Organizations Policy”:

“There is no place on Twitter for violent organizations, including terrorist organizations, violent extremist groups, or individuals who affiliate with and promote their illicit activities. […] Under this policy, you can’t affiliate with and promote the illicit activities of a terrorist organization or violent extremist group. […]

“You may not threaten or promote terrorism or violent extremism. Violent extremist groups are those that meet all of the below criteria:

      • Identify through their stated purpose, publications, or actions as an extremist group;
      • Have engaged in, or currently engage in, violence and/or the promotion of violence as a means to further their cause; and
      • Target civilians in their acts and/or promotion of violence.
    • “We will immediately and permanently suspend any account that we determine to be in violation of this policy.”

The next section documents the reality of how this policy is applied, on a very selective basis.

(4) Twitter’s policy regarding world leaders’ ability to use Twitter – and why it allows the head of the world’s biggest anti-US terrorist regime to use its service

The following are relevant excerpts from Twitter’s general document governing “World Leaders on Twitter: principles & approach”:

“Our mission is to provide a forum that enables people to be informed and to engage their leaders directly. We also have a responsibility to the people who use Twitter to better explain why we make the decisions we make, which we will do here.

“Our approach

      • Everything we do starts with an understanding of our purpose and of the service we provide: a place where people can participate in public conversation and get informed about the world around them.
      • We assess reported Tweets from world leaders against the Twitter Rules, which are designed to ensure people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely.
      • We focus on the language of reported Tweets and do not attempt to determine all potential interpretations of the content or its intent.”

Analysis

And yet, when confronted with the fact that Twitter has been enabling the world’s largest, most lethal anti-US terrorist regime, Iran, CEO Jack Dorsey claimed in 2020 that Twitter must “respect the ‘right’ of terror leaders to speak and to publish what they need”:

Many Jewish users have also long wanted Twitter to permanently boot Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who regularly calls for the violent destruction of Israel, among other antisemitic statements. Dorsey had deemed Khamenei’s tweets “saber-rattling” and never issued a firm policy on controversial statements by international leaders.

“We believe it’s important for everyone to hear from global leaders, and we have policies around world leaders,” Dorsey said in 2020. “We want to make sure we are respecting their right to speak and to publish what they need.”

What Elon Musk buying Twitter could mean for Jewish users and antisemitism – The Times of Israel, April 27, 2022.

That quote by Dorsey was first reported in numerous outlets in October 2018, via his testimony before Congress. Via MediaIte:

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Wednesday said his platform allows Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to fulminate against “cancerous” Jews because he wanted to “respect” his “right to speak.”

“We believe it’s important for everyone to hear from global leaders, and we have policies around world leaders,” Dorsey said in testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee, responding to a question from Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) about the messages. “We want to make sure we are respecting their right to speak and to publish what they need. But if there is a violation of our terms of service, we want to label it.”

Jack Dorsey Dismisses Iranian Threats to Eliminate ‘Cancerous’ Jews – MediaIte, October 28, 2020.

That is the same Jack Dorsey who shut down the NY Post’s account for posting a link to a deeply-researched article on Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop, and why its contents substantively challenge Joe Biden’s denials that he ever communicated with, or profited from, his son’s business contacts.

(5) “Debunking Twitter myths”

Select excerpts from this document, highlighted where appropriate: “Debunking Twitter myths“:

“Twitter censors replies and content.”

“Our mission at Twitter is to serve the public conversation. We encourage a space that is safe and healthy, and censorship is not a part of our mission or platform. We only suspend an account or ask you to remove content when there is a violation of our rules.”

“Twitter lets public figures break rules.”

“We don’t let public figures break our rules. We might, however, keep a Tweet that has violated our rules available behind a notice and limit engagement when we think it’s of public interest to do so. See a Tweet you believe violates our rules? Please report it to us.

(6) Twitter declared that access to the Internet (and suggestively, Twitter) is a “human right”

From: Twitter declares access to its platform a ‘human right’ amid censorship of conservatives – Fox News, June 5, 2021: