Los Angeles – Twitter has finally admitted it has a problem with online bullying and vowed to ban so-called trolls.
The social networking site’s boss, Dick Costolo, said it has ‘no excuse’ for its failure to stop people sending vile messages and apologised for not cracking down sooner.
Twitter, which has more than 284million users a month, has come under fire for allowing bullies to send rape and death threats.
Trolls have also used it to target sick children – in one case posting pictures of a toddler with cancer saying he ‘deserves to die’.
Some extremist groups have tweeted jihadist propaganda and used the site to encourage terrorism.
Critics claim Twitter has done little to crack down on abuse, but the firm has claimed it does not want to encroach on freedom of speech. Users can report individual threats and block trolls, but this does nothing to stop bullies setting up new accounts.
In a memo to staff, Mr Costolo said: ‘We suck at dealing with abuse and trolls on the platform?...?I’m frankly ashamed of how poorly we’ve dealt with this issue.
‘We’re going to start kicking these people off right and left.’
Labour MP Stella Creasy was bombarded with abusive tweets after she backed a campaign by feminist Caroline Criado-Perez to feature more women on British bank notes.
Peter Nunn, 33, from Bristol, was jailed for 18 weeks in September over the threats.
Daily Mail