Twitter is changing its own policy on hateful behavior against transgender users
Elon Musk’s Twitter has removed protections for transgender users from its hate speech policy. Such changes were noticed by the non-profit organization Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), writes The Verge.
The company has removed a line that contains targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals. It was previously in a section that prohibits attacking other users with repeated slurs, tropes or other content that intends to dehumanize, degrade or reinforce negative or harmful stereotypes about a protected category.
The policy change is being called a step backwards for the platform, especially at a time when Instagram, Facebook and YouTube don’t even provide the same protections for trans people that Twitter did.
“Social media companies committed to maintaining safe environments for LGBTQ people should be working to improve hate speech policies, not deleting long-standing ones,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement.
However, it is worth noting that Twitter has not completely abandoned the protection of trans users. Its policy still expressly prohibits targeting others on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, religion, age, disability or serious medical condition.
As you know, recently Twitter also stopped applying a policy of restricting state-controlled media from China and russia, violating its own rules.