【】

Twitter's ongoing quest to make everyone behave better online has a new target.
The social media giant has made an update that prohibits the use of dehumanizing language toward people on the basis of age, disability, or disease. Dehumanizing language is speech that compares or treats others as less than human. For example, comparing a member of one of Twitter's (newly expanded) protected groups to animals or vermin is textbook dehumanization.
Twitter says the change has been in the works for a while, but that the latter category is particularly timely. Animosity and racism against people who have contracted novel coronavirus has been rising. So now, on Twitter at least, fearful people can't deploy dehumanizing hate toward people who happen to have contracted a scary illness.
For example, a phrase like "People with coronavirus are vermin" is now not allowed.

Tweet may have been deleted
Twitter debuted the idea of its anti-dehumanizing language policy in 2018. It finally enacted a narrower version of the rules in July 2019, which only specifically prohibited dehumanizing language against members of religious groups. This specificity came under fire when President Trump invoked the dehumanizing tropes of "vermin" and "infestation" against the Rep. Elijah Cummings and the city of Baltimore — and Twitter clarified that Trump had not broken its rules.
Dehumanizing language specifically is on Twitter's no-go list because research has shown that its use contributes to real world violence. It's part of Twitter's larger effort to improve "conversational health" on the platform, which means more empathetic interactions, less toxic trolling and inflammatory bots. Now, wouldn't that be nice?
Related Video: Twitter is taking steps to stop online conspiracy theories surrounding coronavirus
TopicsHealthSocial MediaTwitterCOVID-19
相关文章
Dramatic photo captures nun texting friends after Italy earthquake
The image of an injured, bloodied nun, calmly texting friends and family in the wake of the deadly e2025-07-19Seth Rogen has a blunt method of tackling 'All Lives Matter' commenters on Instagram
"If this is a remotely controversial statement to you, feel free to unfollow me."That was the captio2025-07-19Google Maps just made it way easier to rent a bike in 10 cities
Google Maps is making it easier to find a bike ride.Starting Monday, Google Maps' bicycling directio2025-07-19Colossal mine in fat bear country just passed a major hurdle
Alaska's Bristol Bay, a region teeming with fat bears and the richest run of sockeye salmon in the w2025-07-19Balloon fanatic Tim Kaine is also, of course, very good at harmonica
You know the old saying: the people want a president they can drink a beer with and they also want a2025-07-19Samsung officially confirms the Galaxy Z Flip 5G
Following a leaked promotional video and images that surfaced on the internet earlier this month, Sa2025-07-19
最新评论