The company has clarified definition of abusive behaviour amid criticism it should do more to halt use of the platform by Isis

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Twitter has clarified its definition of abusive behaviour that will prompt it to delete accounts, banning what it calls hateful conduct that promotes violence against specific groups.

The social media company disclosed the changes on Tuesday in a blog post, following rising criticism it was not doing enough to thwart Islamic State’s use of the site for propaganda and recruitment.

“As always, we embrace and encourage diverse opinions and beliefs, but we will continue to take action on accounts that cross the line into abuse,” said Megan Cristina, director of trust and safety. The new rules do not mention Isis or any other group by name.

“You may not promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability or disease,” according to the revised rules.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Potential consequences for violating the new conduct regulations on Twitter. Photograph: Twitter

The company previously used a more generic warning that banned users from threatening or promoting “violence against others”.

JM Berger, co-author of a Brookings Institute census of Isis Twitter use in March – which found that the militant group had operated at least 46,000 accounts from September to December of last year – said the change would lead to more aggressive reporting of abuse by users who flag accounts that break the rules.

“The new definition is much clearer and takes some of the guesswork out of determining if a tweet violates the rules,” Berger said.

Tuesday’s announcement did not disclose changes to Twitter’s enforcement strategy. A company spokesman declined to say if any were in the works.

The new rules also said that Twitter might respond to reports that somebody is considering self-harm by contacting the person to express concern and provide contact information to mental health practitioners.

US Congress proposed legislation earlier in December requiring social media operators to notify federal authorities of any detected “terrorist activity”.