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Twitter Will Start Using Algorithms To Crack Down On Abusive Accounts
Twitter Will Start Using Algorithms To Crack Down On Abusive Accounts
Don't repeatedly tweet "without solicitation at non-followers" or the machines will get you.
Posted on March 1, 2017, at 9:01 a.m.
Today, Twitter announced that it will start relying on algorithms to identify and restrict accounts for engaging in "abusive behavior," which the company defines as either "repeatedly Tweeting without solicitation at non-followers" or violating the Twitter terms of service. The update has been in place for a few weeks now, but the company made it public today. The change goes beyond what some thought would be simple keyword policing (read: swear words) by also considering the relationships between users when determining abuse.
Penalties may include making an account's tweets only visible to its followers for 12 hours or more, being forced to verify a phone or email address associated with the account. In a statement about the changes, the company's vice president of engineering Ed Ho wrote, "Our platform supports the freedom to share any viewpoint, but if an account continues to repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules, we will consider taking further action."
Twitter seems to expect this approach will have hiccups, as Ho acknowledged: "Since these tools are new we will sometimes make mistakes, but know that we are actively working to improve and iterate on them every day." There isn't a process to appeal any of the the penalties yet, though Twitter's plan to "iterate every day" indicates that may change.
Penalties may include making an account's tweets only visible to its followers for 12 hours or more, being forced to verify a phone or email address associated with the account. In a statement about the changes, the company's vice president of engineering Ed Ho wrote, "Our platform supports the freedom to share any viewpoint, but if an account continues to repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules, we will consider taking further action."
Twitter seems to expect this approach will have hiccups, as Ho acknowledged: "Since these tools are new we will sometimes make mistakes, but know that we are actively working to improve and iterate on them every day." There isn't a process to appeal any of the the penalties yet, though Twitter's plan to "iterate every day" indicates that may change.
More at link.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/blakemontgomery/twitter-will-start-using-algorithms-to-crack-down-on-abusive?utm_term=.yvggl9xNV#.nrvJOzx4V