'So vague, it invites abuse': how Twitter's new privacy policy helps the far right – The Guardian

How could a policy intended to protect against doxxing and harassment go so wrong, so quickly?Last week, Twitter announced it would start penalizing users who tweet “private media”, or images of other users shared without their consent, “that is not available elsewhere online as a tool to harass, intimidate and reveal the identities of individuals”. The platform would allow users to report other users sharing their images. If a review concluded the complaint had merit and the image wasn’t used for a journalistic or public interest purpose, those accounts would be deactivated. Activists swiftly warned that the policy as it was published would backfire. The policy was vague and had been put together without much input from the communities most vulnerable to harassment and doxxing, the activists argued. They had little faith in Twitter’s reporting and appeals process, which they described as unreliable, automated and allowing for little discussion about the enforcement of policies.And indeed, hours after the policy became public, users affiliated with far-right movements like the Proud Boys and others espousing QAnon conspiracies put out calls to their followers, urging them to weaponize the new rules to target activists who had posted about them.On 1 December, for example,…
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