Twitter Changes Reporting Form to Include Hate Against People With Disabilities

Two months ago, Natalie Weaver called for Twitter to include hate against people with disabilities in the form users fill out when reporting offensive tweets.

Weaver reported a tweet for using her daughter’s image in an offensive manner. Her daughter, Sophia, has Rett syndrome and facial differences, and the account was using the photo to promote eugenics, she told The Mighty.

Twitter refused to take down the tweet, she said, but then reconsidered and shut down the offending account.

Weaver and others called on Twitter to update its reporting form, even though the social media platform included hateful content that targets people with disabilities in its hate conduct policy.

On the heels of the account shutdown, Julie Ross, a fellow disability advocate, told Weaver that Twitter did not include disability as a protected group from hate in its reporting form.

Twitter finally responded Monday by updating its reporting form to include hateful content that targets people with disabilities.

It's against our rules to directly attack or threaten someone based on their protected category, including disability. You asked us to clarify this in our reporting flow, and we've updated it to be more specific. https://t.co/h7PrSjPkC2 pic.twitter.com/WXDmyGwwiT

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) April 2, 2018

Twitter tweeted the changes to the reporting form stating, “It’s against our rules to directly attack or threaten someone based on their protected category, including disability. You asked us to clarify this in our reporting flow, and we’ve updated it to be more specific.”

Weaver welcomed the move.

“Many people with medical conditions and/or disabilities receive hate and harassment every day on Twitter and no violations are found,” Weaver told The Mighty. “I am hopeful that this change will create a safer environment for people with medical conditions and disabilities. I hope that Twitter support will be more consistent now in finding violations. I will continue my work to ensure that Twitter support follows through on this.”

Weaver responded to a tweet from Del Harvey, head of trust and safety at Twitter, after the change.

Wow, Del! Thank you for sharing this news and thank you for making a positive change. It is sincerely appreciated!!

— Natalie Weaver (@Nataliew1020) April 2, 2018