Twitter announced on Friday that starting February 1st, users will be able to appeal account suspensions and be evaluated under the platform’s new criteria for reinstatement. This change comes after billionaire Elon Musk purchased the company in October and seeks to address concerns about suspension policies.
The new criteria for account suspension will focus on severe or ongoing and repeat violations of the platform’s policies. Examples of severe policy violations include engaging in illegal content or activity, inciting or threatening violence or harm, and engaging in targeted harassment of other users.
In comparison to account suspension, Twitter will now take less severe action in cases of policy violations. This may include limiting the reach of tweets that violate its policies or asking users to remove tweets before continuing to use the account. This change is designed to provide users with a more nuanced approach to dealing with policy violations and to create a fairer and more equitable platform for all users.
Twitter has also implemented a new appeal process for users who have had their accounts suspended. This process will allow users to provide additional information and context about their account and actions, which will be evaluated by the Twitter team. This will give users the opportunity to have their accounts reinstated if they can demonstrate that their suspension was unjustified or that they have taken steps to address the issues that led to the suspension.
It is important to note that this new criteria and appeal process will not apply to all types of suspensions. Accounts that are suspended for violations of Twitter’s rules regarding child sexual exploitation, terrorist content, or other forms of harm will still be subject to permanent suspension.
These changes aim to create a fairer and more equitable platform for all users and to provide a more nuanced approach to dealing with policy violations. The new criteria and appeal process will help ensure that users are held accountable for their actions on the platform while also giving them the opportunity to have their accounts reinstated if they have taken steps to address the issues that led to the suspension.