If Elon Musk doesn’t have something against transgender people, he certainly doesn’t show it. Even prior to buying Twitter, he complained about the rules on the platform that prevented hate speech. It almost looked as though he bought Twitter specifically to spread more hate on the network. He said he wanted to create a place for free speech, but his complaints seemed to be about its rules against intentional deadnaming (using the former name of a trans person), and misgendering. When he took over Twitter, it was one of the first changes he made, besides firing anyone who could make Twitter safe and a large number of executives.
This week, Twitter quietly “restored” the rules against harassment of transgender people. I put that in quotes because the new rule wouldn’t remove posts or suspend users for their hateful content, but would instead just not suggest it as much to users. For a famous spreader of hate, it wouldn’t make a difference, but for smaller hate influencers, it could slow the spread.
Twitter couldn’t stick by their guns, however, and already removed the rule in most places. They updated the rule to state they’ll only do this in places where the law has requirements against hate speech, including harassment against transgender people.
In other words, the “big win” sites reported on, a safer Twitter, was a lie. Twitter’s just following a new ruling on a law in one specific country. Musk seems eager to go back on it already.
Hate Restored After Far-Right Backlash
It didn’t take Twitter long to cave to the hateful again. For a brief period of time, Twitter’s rules stated that a user’s post would see slightly less spread if it contained anti-trans hate speech or targeted harassment. They added the “Where required by local laws” portion of the below rule after word spread hate might not spread as much on the platform.
“Where required by local laws, we will reduce the visibility of posts that purposefully use different pronouns to address someone other than what that person uses for themselves, or that use a previous name that someone no longer goes by as part of their transition.”
– From Twitter’s rules
The rule was even specific in requiring the victim of that harassment to report it, instead of using their pronouns from their bio or, in the case of more famous users, simply their public name and pronouns. For well-known trans users, who may face hundreds of harassing messages and tweets, there’s little they could do to fight against the hate that’s been levied at them.
According to Musk, the only place the rule will currently apply is Brazil. Even then, even targets of hate in Brazil will unlikely find much help in the rule, which will not remove posts or ban users who spread hate.
Since Twitter continues to be a place for deadnaming, I won’t be using that silly “X” moniker they’re trying to force on us. It was born as “Twitter,” why would it be “X” now? See? That sounds ridiculous.
Sources:
- Karissa Bell, Engadget
- Askley Belanger, Ars Technica
- Chase DiBenedetto, Mashable
- Mariella Moon, Engadget