Twitter’s warning over tweets wishing ‘harm’ to Donald Trump leads to accusations of double standards

Twitter has been accused of double standards after it banned tweets “that wish or hope for” Donald Trump to face harm.

On Saturday, the social media giant issued a statement that said: “Tweets that wish or hope for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against *anyone* are not allowed and will need to be removed. This does not automatically mean suspension.”

The statement, which was posted on its comms account, was in response to tweets that appeared to celebrate Trump being diagnosed with Covid-19 and his subsequent admission to hospital.

But prominent figures and minority groups have accused Twitter of inconsistent double standards as they have received similar abuse but no action was taken against those that wished them harm.

Double standards

The platform has been praised over the years for taking action against users such as Katie Hopkins, musician Wiley and right-wing blogger David Vance, all of whom have been banned from Twitter for abusive posts and violating guidelines.

But Twitter has also been urged to do more to protect its BAME, disabled and LGBT users too.

Weeks of death threats and serious threats against my family when I was Children’s Laureate resulted in Twitter doing bugger all about it. *side-eyes in Black woman* https://t.co/pKsvH1OVNu

— Aunty Malorie Blackman (@malorieblackman) October 3, 2020

In response to Twitter’s statement, former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman tweeted: ‘Weeks of death threats and serious threats against my family when I was Children’s Laureate resulted in Twitter doing bugger all about it. *side-eyes in Black woman*.”

Food writer and anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe also responded and said: “I lugged six lever arch files to the High Court in 2017 that were almost entirely filled with printouts of tweets that wished or hoped for my death, serious bodily harm and fatal disease.

“It took 18 months, £800k of lawyers, and winning a libel case to get some of them removed.

“Anyway. Nice to know Twitter had the power all along but just chose not to use it.”

Hateful conduct

Actress Mara Wilson wrote: “Do you know how many people on here are constantly calling for genocide against Jews or Muslims or Black people or LGBTQ people? And that’s just a basic Nazi! But so many people call for death against so many people for so many reasons on here.”

Do you know how many people on here are constantly calling for genocide against Jews or Muslims or Black people or LGBTQ people

— Mara “Get Rid of the Nazis” Wilson (@MaraWilson) October 3, 2020

A spokesperson for Twitter said: “At Twitter, our singular goal is to improve the health of the public conversation, including ensuring the safety of people who use our service.

“Abuse and harassment have no place on Twitter and we have policies in place – which apply to everyone, everywhere – that address abuse and harassment and hateful conduct.

“If we identify accounts that violate these rules, we will take enforcement action.”