Australian Government Body Reprimands Toxic Twitter
eSafety, an Australian government regulator has asked Twitter to answer what it is going to do about online hate on its platform. That’s after it had received a huge increase in complaints and reports of online hate experienced by Australians in the last year. The toxicity on Twitter was particularly noticeable.
The uptick in online hate coincides with the controversial take over by Elon musk of the popular social network. Since his ownership of the platform, a number of decisions seems to have directly contributed to a worsening state on the platform. Whether it be cutting the Twitter workforce by thousands, reinstating previously banned accounts, or the ending of its collaboration on public policy in Australia. Ms ingram Grant, eSafety Commissioner, said:
“We are seeing a worrying surge in hate online. eSafety research shows that nearly 1 in 5 Australians have experienced some form of online hate. This level of online abuse is already inexcusably high, but if you’re a First Nations Australian, you are disabled or identify as LGBTIQ+ you experience online hate at double the rate of the rest of the population. Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate. A third of all complaints about online hate reported to us are now happening on Twitter.”
If the social media company does not respond to the regulator in 28 days times, it could face fines of up to $700,000 a day for continuing breaches.
Social networks are becoming a less and less friendly place is perhaps the sad reality – and why maybe we are seeing the growth in Social Discovery Apps instead. Instead of places of toxicity and negativity – in a sea of unfiltered opinions, often from people you have nothing in common with – they can be places of positivity, where people can make connections with other like minded people.