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After CEO Change, Twitter Quickly Bans Sharing And Publishing ‘Private Media’ Without Permission

After CEO Change, Twitter Quickly Bans Sharing And Publishing ‘Private Media’ Without Permission

Twitter sharing

CEO Change, Twitter Quickly Bans Sharing And Publishing 'Private Media' Without Permission. Image credit: Prostock-Studio / iStock

With a new CEO at the helm, Twitter has made a move aimed at improving privacy and security, banning sharing of private media such as photos and videos of another person without their permission.

Twitter founder Jack Dorsey announced he had stepped down effective immediately as CEO of the social media giant on Nov. 29. He was replaced by Parag Agrawal, a 10-year employee and the company’s chief technology officer since 2017. Dorsey did not provide many details on why he decided to resign, but said in a statement that “the company is ready to move on from its founders.”

Shortly after the announcement, the Twitter safety team outlined in a blog post that although anyone can be impacted by private media being shared, it “can have a disproportionate effect on women, activists, dissidents and members of minority communities.”

The social media platform added that when it is notified by a person or authorized representative, that they did not consent to have their private image or video shared, the reported post will be taken down.

This will include downranking the visibility of the tweet in replies and search results or telling the person who posted it to delete the tweet. Twitter also has the right to permanently suspend users who violate the policy.

“Sharing personal media, such as images or videos, can potentially violate a person’s privacy, and may lead to emotional or physical harm, “reads Twitter’s blog post.

The new policy is not applicable to people who are public figures, a category that typically includes politicians, celebrities, and other well-known people.

Another exemption is if a tweet is newsworthy and is “shared in the public interest or it adds value to public discourse.” Twitter said it will allow such media to remain on the platform.

Twitter also said it will consider factors such as whether the images are available elsewhere, such as TV or in newspapers.

The media company will also take other contexts into consideration in Twitter sharing, as well as existing rules such as a ban on non-consensual sexual imagery.

“We recognize that there are instances where account holders may share images or videos of private individuals to help someone involved in a crisis situation, such as in the aftermath of a violent event, or as part of a newsworthy event due to public interest value, and this might outweigh the safety risks to a person,” the post said.

However, the policy has raised concerns about whether it would be appropriate for users to tweet images from parades, protests, or events filled with private individuals.

Of concern also is whether law enforcement, journalists or private citizens can share images of crimes or violent acts being committed such as the death of George Floyd, without the permission of individuals featured in the videos or games.

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