New rules on Twitter will prevent sharing private images of others without their consent

Twitter launched new rules on Tuesday to prevent users from sharing private images of other people without their consent, tightening the social network’s policies just a day after he changed CEO.

Under the new rules, non-public figure users can ask Twitter to remove posted photos or videos of them without their permission.

Twitter clarified that this measure does not apply to “public figures or individuals when the media and the text of the tweet that accompanies them are shared in the public interest or add value to public discourse.”

“We will always try to assess the context in which the content is shared, and in those cases, we can allow the images or videos to remain on the service,” the company added.

The right of Internet users to appeal to platforms when third parties post images or data about them, especially for malicious purposes, has been debated for years.

Twitter has already banned the publication of private information such as phone numbers or a person’s address, but there are “growing concerns” about the use of content to “harass, intimidate and reveal identities,” acknowledged Twitter.

The company noted a “disproportionate effect on women, activists, dissidents and members of minority communities.”

Highly recognized examples of online bullying include victims of racist, sexist and homophobic abuse on Twitch, the world’s largest video game streaming site.

However, harassment cases abound and victims often have to fight long battles to have hurtful, insulting or illegally produced images removed from virtual platforms.

The change comes a day after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced he was leaving the company and handed over the directorial duties to company executive Parag Agrawal.

The platform, like other social networks, has fought against harassment, misinformation, and hate-motivated content. (I)