A cyber regulator in Australia demanded social media platform Twitter to explain how the company is handling online hate on the platform. Twitter has become the most complained-about platform in the country after 62,000 banned accounts have been lifted.
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The Twitter logo is seen on a computer in this photo illustration in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2019.
Demanding Explanation Regarding Online Hate
Twitter is facing another investigation regarding its operations. According to a report from Reuters, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant sent a legal notice to Twitter, demanding an explanation after receiving one-third of the complaints she received about the online hate concern from the platform.
Inman Grant released a statement, saying that Twitter appears to have the ball on tackling hatred on the platform. "We need accountability from these platforms and action to protect their users, and you cannot have accountability without transparency and that's what legal notices like this one are designed to achieve," she added.
The commissioner also noted that the complaints increased when the platform reinstated 62,000 banned accounts when Musk took over and acquired the company last October, including high-profile accounts of individuals who espouse Nazi rhetoric. Inman Grant described these accounts as the "worst of the worst," who contributed an outsized impact on toxicity.
In her sent letter, Twitter was called out by the commissioner to explain its impact assessments when reinstating banned accounts, how it engaged with communities who were subject to online hate, and how the company is enforcing its own policies to ban hateful conduct on the platform.
Requiring to Abide by Australian Laws
While Twitter's policies prohibited hateful conduct on the platform, the commissioner argued that the rising complaints sent to her and reports of the toxic content remaining on the platform just showed that the company was probably not enforcing its own policies and restrictions The Guardian reported that nearly one out of five Australians had experienced a form of online hate.
Twitter was given 28 days to respond in order to avoid a fine of nearly $473,480 (AUD 700,000) per day for continuing breaches. If Twitter wants to continue serving in Australia, the platform is required to abide by Australian laws. Inman Grant has also been working with regulators across the world to improve their standards regarding the platform's operations.
Al Jazeera reported that among the affected Australians due to online hate was prominent indigenous television host Stan Grant, which had cited targeted abuse on Twitter when he announced a break from the media last month. The National Indigenous Television specialist broadcaster also announced its break from the platform due to racism and hate they receive.
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This notice comes after the commissioner previously demanded Twitter, Meta, and other platforms in August last year for demanding an explanation over how they tackle online child abuse on their platforms. While Twitter responded to the notice, she has yet to say whether the response was acceptable or not.
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