Did Twitter violate their own policy by letting violently misogynistic anti-Melania hashtag to trend? Is this promoting ‘rape culture’?
Twitter is a private company. So they play by their own rules.
As such, they have the right to determine what is and is not permissible on their platform. It’s exactly like the argument for why bakers can’t be made to bake cakes they have moral objections to.
But when they have an explicit written policy and are selective in how they apply it, the public can call BS.
So, Twitter: this was BS.
Your official policy … referenced in an article by the National Review… says this:
What’s the policy?
Twitter prohibits the promotion of hate content, sensitive topics, and violence globally.
ACM: Note from the get-go: We are not just talking about the incitement of violence here. Twitter is laying the groundwork to regulate discussions of any topics it deems “sensitive.”
What products or services are subject to this policy? This policy applies, but is not limited, to: Hate speech or advocacy against an individual, organization or protected group based on race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or other protected status.
… Twitter’s list of speech categories to which its suppression policy applies continues:
Violence or threats of violence against people or animals
Glorification of self-harm or related content
Organizations or individuals associated with promoting hate, criminal, or terrorist-related content.
(That article, btw, was about Twitter bowing the knee to Muslim sensibilities. Keep that in mind as you read on.)
What was the offensive trending hashtag?
#rapeMelania
The tweet referened a photo taken outside of Trump Tower:
DC Trump Protestor "Rape Melania" pic.twitter.com/ZFmjbEiOHl
— Beck (@thereal_beck) November 13, 2016
Is Twitter ok with rape now? If Melania’s last name were Clinton, would they have suppressed the hashtag? Because they had no trouble suppressing ‘#DNCleaks’ from trending.
They were eventually shamed into suppressing the trend. But somehow, it made it through the filters. You’d think that a word like ‘rape’ might be at least flagged by the filters for a second look?
Meanwhile… look at Instapundit (Republican). When he said (in the context of being swarmed by a mob of protesters on a major road with unclear intent) that running them over would be an option consistent with self-defense, he had his account shut down.
And Milo Yiannopoulos – a very outspoken gay conservative, and perpetual thorn in SJW’s sides – is a story all his own. He had his account permanently deactivated for saying ‘mean things’ to an actress from Ghostbusters.
We would love to see a reporter go face to face with the company spokesperson and get a PERSONAL reaction ON CAMERA to the fact that TWITTER permitted DISGUSTING misogyny to trend.
Smaller companies have been ruined for less.
