Twitter cancels racist accounts
Twitter’s new anti-abuse rules came into effect earlier this month and the social media giant has cancelled white supremacist accounts around the globe…including Australia.
Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission Dvir Abramovich has praised Twitter for its putting into effect its new safety rules and suspending the Twitter account of Australian neo-Nazi group Antipodean Resistance (AR). AR describes itself as the “the Hitlers you’ve been waiting for”, and has targeted universities and public places with Nazi, anti-LGBTI and antisemitic posters. According to the new anti-abuse regulations, groups who promote violence and hateful ideologies, online or offline, will be banned permanently
Dvir Abramovich said: “It is about time that Twitter did the right thing and shut down the account of this neo-Nazi group which has been exploiting social media in publicizing its horrendous ideology, propaganda and activities. In 2017, AR used its Twitter account to post photos of their vandalism, their distribution of swastika posters and violent stickers at universities and in public places across the nation, as well as their radicalisation camps in Victoria.
Antipodean Resistance posters
We know that they are actively recruiting members through the web, and that they are being monitored by ASIO.
Twitter, and other giant media companies must make it abundantly clear that AR, and other white-supremacist groups have no role in our society, and those agents of hate, who traffic in incitement and vilification, will not be allowed to use these popular platforms to recruit, intimidate and promote their sickening agenda. At a time of a disturbing surge in antisemitism here and abroad, these companies have the responsibility to do everything in their power to stop prejudice and bigotry from growing and flourishing online.
As always, the ADC stands ready to working with Twitter in the ongoing battle against cyber-hatred.”
I’m glad that Twitter is shutting down right wing groups, racism of any sort is disgusting. Now, will they shut down the other right wing group, the Muslim hate groups?
The best way to avoid problems is not to have a twitter or facebook account.
They achieve nothing, often give inaccurate or incomplete news, waste your time and they find out information on you for advertising or other purposes.
A phone call or email work fine or better still meet with friend for coffee at a cafe but leave the mobile in your pocket.
Adrian, that may work for you but what about the racist groups who use social media to encourage hatred of various ethnic groups and those that look for it? We cannot go backwards all we can do is encourage and support the sites who remove these accounts. If you were more aware, you would join monitoring groups who report them, slightly more beneficial than the ostrich approach.