TWITTER TAILORS: Network changes guidelines following controversial censorship

After the New York Post released its bombshell exposé on Hunter Biden and his illicit foreign dealings, Twitter took it upon themselves to shelter all those involved. 

Including democratic nominee Joe Biden. 

But in the wake of the unbearably controversial decision, Twitter has decided to change its “Hacked Materials Policy,” the company said Thursday.  

The social media giant will no longer remove allegedly “hacked” content unless it is shared by hackers themselves or by accomplices, and will label questionable tweets rather than blocking them from being shared, Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s legal, policy and trust & safety leader said, according to the Post.

“Over the last 24 hours, we’ve received significant feedback (from critical to supportive) about how we enforced our Hacked Materials Policy yesterday,” Gadde tweeted. “After reflecting on this feedback, we have decided to make changes to the policy and how we enforce it.”

“All other Twitter rules will still apply to the posting of or linking to hacked materials, such as our rules against posting private information, synthetic and manipulated media, and non-consensual activity,” she said in another post. 

Gadde explained that the changes are being made to address concerns of potential “unintended consequences” to journalists, whistleblowers and others. 

Why the changes? We want to address the concerns that there could be many unintended consequences to journalists, whistleblowers and others in ways that are contrary to Twitter’s purpose of serving the public conversation.

— Vijaya Gadde (@vijaya) October 16, 2020

Twitter’s initial decision to block the Post report from being shared on Wednesday sparked widespread outrage. 

“So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of ‘Smoking Gun’ Emails related to sleepy Joe Biden and his son, Hunter in the @NYPost,” President Trump tweeted. 

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey later revoked the company’s decision, deeming it “unacceptable.” 

“Our communication around our actions on the @NYPost article was not great,” Dorsey tweeted. “And blocking URL sharing via Tweet or DM with zero context as to why we’re blocking: unacceptable.”’ 

Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM with zero context as to why we’re blocking: unacceptable. https://t.co/v55vDVVlgt

— jack (@jack) October 14, 2020

The platform’s policy changes come just one day after the Senate Judiciary Committee announced they will hold a hearing Tuesday to subpoena Dorsey to testify.