Twitter has today banned sharing images or videos of private individuals without their consent.
The platform made the announcement in a new update to its private information safety policy.
Twitter had already banned users from sharing other people’s private information, such as phone numbers, addresses, and IDs. The company said it’s now updating the private information policy and expanding its scope to include “private media.”
‘’There are growing concerns about the misuse of media and information that is not available elsewhere online as a tool to harass, intimidate, and reveal the identities of individuals. ‘’ the company said.
‘’Sharing personal media, such as images or videos, can potentially violate a person’s privacy and may lead to emotional or physical harm.’’’ it added.
Sharing images is an important part of folks' experience on Twitter. People should have a choice in determining whether or not a photo is shared publicly. To that end we are expanding the scope of our Private Information Policy. ?
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) November 30, 2021
This does not however mean you cannot share someone’s photo or video on the platform. But if a person depicted in the media wants it taken down, Twitter will take it down.
“When we are notified by individuals depicted, or by an authorized representative, that they did not consent to having their private image or video shared, we will remove it,” Twitter said in the update.
Twitter says this policy is not applicable to media featuring public figures or individuals when media and accompanying Tweet text are shared in the public interest or add value to public discourse.
‘’However, if the purpose of the dissemination of private images of public figures or individuals who are part of public conversations is to harass, intimidate, or use fear to silence them, we may remove the content in line with our policy against abusive behavior.’’ it says.
Follow us on Telegram, Twitter, Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to info@techtrendske.co.ke.
