Earlier this week, Twitter published a brief statement detailing why world leaders are held in special regard on the social network.
“Twitter is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation,” it wrote.
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“Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society.
“Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.”
The tweet in question?
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
But the company has now clarified this statement, suggesting that the people who keep the political rotation of the planet in check isn’t above Twitter’s law, even if a tweet they publish is intrinsic to the conversation on its platform.
In an interview conducted on BBC 5 Live, Twitter’s VP of EMEA Bruce Daisley on Tuesday outlined what could potentially get the likes of Donald Trump fired from the social network.
And, no. Threatening nuclear war is not considered naughty.
Releasing personal, private information, “address” or “phone number” is, however, what the company would consider a “no go area”, Daisley revealed. But this won’t lead to an account suspension, merely a “caution to remove the [offending] tweet”.
He also confirmed that this applies to all world leaders, and not simply the “bellicose” US President.
This statement is a notable addition to Twitter’s September statement that it first considers the “newsworthiness” and “public interest” value of a tweet, before action to remove it or block the offending account is taken by the company.
“Twitter is committed to transparency and keeping people informed about what’s happening in the world. We’ll continue to be guided by these fundamental principles,” the company tweeted in the aforementioned release.
Listen to the full interview (which begins around the 11 minute mark) here.
Feature image: Memeburn
