Recent Twitter decisions — impact on child safety

Twitter recently announced that it will be dissolving its Trust and Safety Council, a group of volunteers, experts and organizations that…

Twitter recently announced that it will be dissolving its Trust and Safety Council, a group of volunteers, experts and organizations that provided independent input on the platform’s policies and safety measures. The move has sparked a lot of debate and discussion among users, with many expressing both support and criticism for the decision.

The Trust and Safety Council was formed in 2016 as a way for Twitter to get input from a diverse group of experts on how to handle sensitive issues such as online harassment and hate speech. The council included representatives from organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, as well as individuals with expertise in areas like mental health and suicide prevention.

However, some users have criticized the council for being too heavy-handed in its approach to moderating content, with some accusing it of censorship and stifling free speech. In response to these criticisms, Twitter decided to disband the council and instead focus on developing new tools and strategies for addressing safety issues on the platform.

While some have applauded Twitter for taking a more proactive approach to safety, others have expressed concern that the company may not be able to effectively address the complex and often contentious issues surrounding online harassment without input from outside experts. Additionally, some have raised concerns that the decision may be a way for Twitter to avoid accountability for its handling of safety issues on the platform.

In the end, only time will tell how effective Twitter’s new approach will be, but it is clear that the company is facing a difficult and challenging task in trying to balance the competing goals of fostering open and free expression with ensuring the safety of its users.

When we add this to the 15% cut to the amount of staff within its trust and safety staff what could this mean for the safety of children and young adults who are using the platform? I recently wrote an article regarding Andre Tate and the misogynistic hate speech that he was peddling and the effect it was having on young males who started to see him as a role model, the platform is already letting other controversial figures such as Donald Trump back onto their platform also. This alone is turning Twitter into a wild west of the internet and one that in my opinion could be very detrimental to the safety of children who might be using it unsupervised.

If you do decide to allow your child to use Twitter then please make sure you have discussed with them what to do if they find something they don't fully understand and look at some of the parental controls or apps that you can put in place. Have a read through some of my other articles for advice on having that conversation and also on how you can put better security in place for your child.