Twitter gets an assist in taking on trolls and bullies

Taking on harrassment and bullying has been a challenge for Twitter.

Just a year ago, Dick Costolo, who was CEO of Twitter at the time, said the company was struggling to take on harassing and abusive tweets, writing in a memo, “We suck at dealing with abuse and trolls on the platform and we’ve sucked at it for years”.

Now, Twitter is looking for help to tackle the issue.

“To ensure people can continue to express themselves freely and safely on Twitter, we must provide more tools and policies,” wrote Patricia Cartes, head of Twitter’s Global Policy Outreach. “It requires a multi-layered approach where each of our 320 million users has a part to play, as do the community of experts working for safety and free expression.”

Cartes noted that there are more than 40 organisations involved with the council.

The groups involved include NetSafe, GLAAD, the Internet Watch Foundation, the Wahid Institute, the UK Safer Internet Centre and Childnet International.

IDG News Service