Since Twitter’s creation in 2006, the website has been a hub of unrestricted news. Now, six years later, Twitter has announced a new censorship policy that could once again change freedom of expression on the web.
Simply put, Twitter’s new censorship policy will allow the removal of tweets on a country-by-country basis.
When a government orders that a post be taken down, the post will be replaced by a statement saying, “This tweet from @username has been withheld in: Country.” However, the post will remain visible to users in all other countries where no such order was issued.
Twitter is also partnering with the website chillingeffects.org to announce when a post has been censored. The openness regarding censored material is crucial to positively shaping censorship on the internet.
With the introduction of the new policy, Twitter has indirectly urged other websites to follow suit with transparent censorship policies. Transparent censorship, in terms of Twitter’s policy, means the company in question promises to be honest about removing posts while ensuring minimal censorship. Secretive censorship will occur rarely, if at all, on Twitter due to the openness of censored posts. Additionally, the fact that posts will not be taken down universally will allow a maximal number of users to see a post. Hopefully other web services like Twitter will alter their censorship policies to create an environment of free speech.
Many critics claim this new policy will entail heavy monitoring of tweets; however, the company will only review content if there are requests to take it down.
The lack of monitoring, in addition to censorship notifications, will increase information availability on the web.
Twitter will adjust its censorship policy to accommodate strict laws and, in doing so, revolutionize censorship.
Both users and governments are accommodated in regards to the removal of posts through this transparent policy.
Twitter is once again pioneering a new trend of unrestricted free speech across the globe with the introduction of its transparent censorship policy.