San Francisco (AFP)
Twitter will no longer let pass on "dehumanizing" attacks based on the age, disability or illness of groups of people. A new attempt by the platform to police online exchanges that are often virulent, even violent.
The social network had decided last July to filter out hate speech related to religion.
"Today we are extending this rule to comments that dehumanize on the basis of age, disability or illness," Twitter said in an online statement on Thursday.
The platform provides examples of tweets that their authors will have to withdraw if they are notified to it: "All (people of such age) are leeches and do not deserve our support" or "People who have (such disease) are rats that infect everyone around them. "
This latest example resonates with the current crisis of the new coronavirus, which forces platforms to react to hateful or untrue content, from racist messages to fake miracle products, including conspiracy theories.
"Our main concern is to tackle the risk of violence in real life, and research shows that dehumanizing comments increase this risk," said Twitter in its press release, without referring to the virus.
The network of tweets not always tender is engaged in a wider movement to fight hate speech on its platform.
It already applies clear rules regarding all tweets specifically calling for violence against an individual or community, glorifying terrorism or harassing a particular person.
But like other social networks, Twitter is regularly accused of not doing enough to combat hate speech. The group struggles to reconcile this objective with the preservation of freedom of expression.
© 2020 AFP