policy banning threats and abuse revised by twitter

Twitter has revised its rules of
conduct to emphasize that it prohibits violent
threats and abusive behavior by users, promising a
tough stance at a time when critics are calling for
the online service to adopt a harder line against
extremists.
While the new policy unveiled Tuesday doesn't
substantively change what's allowed, it may help
Twitter answer criticism from politicians and others
who say militant extremists are using the service
and other social networks to recruit members and
promote their violent agendas.
One advocate, however, said the real test will be
how Twitter enforces the rules.
"The new rules are definitely an improvement," said
Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Digital Terrorism and
Hate Project at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los
Angeles. "But the question is: Will they be
accompanied by a more proactive attitude toward
making sure repeat offenders are identified and
permanently removed?"
A Twitter spokesman declined comment Tuesday.
In a blog post, the company said: "The updated
language emphasizes that Twitter will not tolerate
behavior intended to harass, intimidate, or use fear
to silence another user's voice. As always, we
embrace and encourage diverse opinions and
beliefs — but we will continue to take action on
accounts that cross the line into abuse."
The new policy says Twitter will suspend or shutter
any user account that engages in "hateful conduct"
or whose "primary purpose is inciting harm towards
others." The company previously said users could
not promote or threaten violence and in April added
a ban on "promotion of terrorism."
Under "hateful conduct," the new policy warns users:
"You may not promote violence against or directly
attack or threaten other people on the basis of race,
ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender,
gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability,
or disease."
The new policy also explicitly bans "creating
multiple accounts with overlapping uses" aimed at
evading suspension of a single account. Critics say
Twitter has previously made it too easy for
extremists to create new accounts as soon as older
ones are shut down.