Twitter has announced a policy change aimed at preventing the spread of so-called “revenge porn” by imposing stricter penalties against users caught tweeting X-rated images without consent.
Twitter imposed explicit rules back in 2015 banning revenge porn, warning users at the time that the service prohibited posting intimate photos or videos taken or distributed without the subject’s permission.
More than two years after vowing to crack down on revenge porn, the new rules announced Friday specify precisely the type of content prohibited on Twitter and the company’s latest plans for keeping it offline.
“We’ve updated our non-consensual nudity policy to better protect victims by expanding the types of content we remove, harsher penalties for offenders and more rigorous review for accounts that post this type of media,” Twitter said.
Types of media banned by Twitter’s newest policy include hidden-camera content, material not intended for public distribution, images or videos considered private under applicable laws, and lewd images or videos produced in secret, otherwise known as “creepshots or upskirts,” the post said.
“Sharing explicit sexual images or videos of someone online without their consent is a violation of their privacy and one of the most serious violations of the Twitter Rules. In addition to posing serious safety and security risks, it may also result in physical, emotional and financial hardship for the person whose media is shared,” the company said.
Individuals who believe they are the victim of revenge porn may file a report with the company, and users caught breaking the rule are subject to suspension, Twitter said.
“We will suspend any account we identify as the original poster of intimate media that has been produced or distributed without the subject’s consent. We will also suspend any account dedicated to posting this type of content,” Twitter said.
Repeat offenders risk permanent suspension, Twitter said.
Roughly one in 25 people say they’ve either had private images uploaded online without their consent or know someone who threatened as much, according to a 2016 study conducted by the Data & Society Research Institute.
Twitter plans to adopt additional rules next month banning organizations that advocate violence, usage of hate symbols and unwanted sexual advances, according to a timeline released last week.
Twitter currently boasts about 330 million monthly active users, making it one of the internet’s most popular social networking services.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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