Twitter has announced a sweeping new policy change that prohibits users from sharing pictures or videos of people without their permission and has indicated that they are prepared to permanently ban users who violate the new rule.
Although Twitter already has bans in place for the publishing of private information, as they do for sharing private intimate images, the new policy will now cover images and video content of people in regular settings too. This means that anyone can report images or video content of themselves that have been published on Twitter without permission so that they can be taken down.
Beginning today, we will not allow the sharing of private media, such as images or videos of private individuals without consent. Publishing people's private info is also prohibited under the policy, as is threatening or incentivizing others to do so.
Twitter Statement
The amendment to Twitter's policy is seen as a positive move by many, as well as clear acknowledgement from the platform that this type of content can be used as a tool to intimidate, harass, and reveal personal information about people and that this could potentially lead to emotional or physical harm.
The misuse and sharing of personal information or images can have a potentially devastating impact. Empowering users with the option to have this type of content removed if it is being used to target them is a huge step forward.
Dan Raisbeck, Co-founder, The Cybersmile Foundation
There are some exceptions to the policy that Twitter has said will require consideration before a decision to take action is made. These include media featuring public figures or individuals and accompanying tweets that are shared in the public interest or add value to public discourse.
Some critics have asked if Twitter should be the appropriate arbiter of what is in the public interest. The company has stated that it would "also take into consideration whether the image being shared was publicly available or whether it was being covered by traditional media organizations when deciding whether to remove content."
The latest policy change from Twitter could encourage other platforms to re-visit how they are protecting their users; however, a balanced approach will need to be taken into consideration when it comes to assessing what content should and should not be removed.