twitter, free speech, or whatever and stuff

I’ve reported to Twitter an account threatening other users with sexual violence, an account deliberately menacing women, a bot account that exists solely to spew racist invective, and, lastly, the account of a man who doxxed a rape victim after publicly extorting her via his account.

Each time this is what I receive in response:

Hello,



Thank you for letting us know about your issue. We understand that you might come across content on Twitter that you dislike or find offensive. However, after investigating the reported content we found it was not in violation of Twitter’s private information policy (https://support.twitter.com/articles/20169991). As a result, it won’t be removed at this time.



If something has gone beyond the point of a personal conflict, whether it be online or offline, you should contact your local authorities so they can accurately assess the validity of the issue. It’s also a good idea to take screenshots of the offending Tweets if you choose to address this issue with your local law enforcement.



Thanks,



Twitter

I find threats of sexual assault, violence, general menacing, racism, and the naming of victims of sexual assault dislikable and offensive. I believe in free speech, sure; I also believe in the responsibility that comes along with it. Yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater if you want but with that freedom comes repercussions. I’ve been told the standard defines these threats as “real” when they come with specificity. I’ll do this or that horrible thing to you on the fifth of may two-thousand whatever. This isn’t a loophole so much as a moral void that allows menacing, terrorizing, and fear mongering under the auspices of free speech.

If you were to witness a white man calling a child of color by a racial epithet to his face, would you consider that child abuse? Verbal abuse? I would. I’d think – I’d absolutely think that. Look maybe that’s just me and my un-nuanced understanding of race and freedom of expression. On twitter, this is just a case of someone (me) finding something they dislike and found offensive. Why? Because it’s been written, not spoken? Would someone at Twitter like to explain the value of a bot that auto-posts racist jokes at random accounts? What if you were a child of color and a goddamn bot on twitter was what called you an epithet for the first time? Twitter would put that on you for finding something dislikable and offensive. They surely won’t censure or close the offending account.

If you were on a subway train and witnessed a man telling a woman he’s planning to assault her – albeit without a day or a time, sure – would you speak up? Would you notify someone in authority on the train? Sure you would. Anyone would. And that man would be kicked off the train at the very least but, on twitter, this kind of threat, this kind of fear mongering, is actually just another case of someone (me) finding something they dislike and may find offensive.

And, lastly, if someone said to you, give me what I want or I’ll make your personal information a matter of public record and will continue to libel and defame your character – I’m not a lawyer but how does that not violate the law that defines extortion as defined by a state like, oh, say California? Misdemeanor extortion at least? Using fear to coerce something out of someone offends me to my fucking core yet to Twitter, I’m just someone finding something they dislike and find offensive. That guy’s not a thug and a bully and an extortionist at all – because free speech or whatever and stuff?

If these are the standards of the Twitter community – or of the powers that be that control that community – then i don’t think it’s a community I want to be a part of anymore. If it’s the right of anyone to say pretty much anything on Twitter because free speech or whatever and stuff then surely it’s my right to remove myself from the fucking conversation.

So I’m taking a break. Posts here will still autopost there but I’ll be dormant on twitter until at least the first of the year. After the holiday I’ll decide what I want to do.

I know this much: I don’t want to be a part of a community like Twitter if the previous offenses are an accepted part of that community. Twitter isn’t a country, it’s a service. And as a store gets to decide what products it sells, services decide what is and is not permissible. Twitter finds a lot of horrible things permissible, is what I’m saying, and it doesn’t want you to be able to filter or curate your experience. They want to sell you shit. They sure as hell don’t want to behave as responsible community arbiters. It doesn’t want to protect its users or act with any kind of moral authority lest they be judged for daring to not permit everything under the guise of consequence-free first amendment protection.

(That’s an assumption. Maybe a more nuanced explanation for Twitter’s protection of extortionists, racists, and rape creeps escapes my feeble intellect. )

Because it seems to me that’s what Twitter wants to be used for these days anyway, that’s what Twitter wants to do, wants to be: a place for selling shit and threatening women.

I don’t care how funny you people are, I don’t want to support it with my time or energy or efforts anymore.