Twitter Revises Terms Of Service, No Longer Believes In "Speaking Truth To Power" | Zero Hedge
Description: After last week's Congressional hearings and at the same time it briefly disabled Donald Trump's account, Twitter has revised its terms of service, and apparently no longer believes in "speaking truth to power" according to its latest rules update.
Keywords: Zero Hedge,Zerohedge,Finance,Economics,Markets,Politics,Analysis,Donald Trump,Elizabeth Warren,Google,None,Testimony,Twitter
Date: 2017-11-06T00:00:00Z

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# Twitter Revises Terms Of Service, No Longer Believes In "Speaking Truth To Power"

by Tyler Durden
Nov 6, 2017 11:16 AM
0
SHARES

Having been caught in a crossfire over internet free speech and Russian conspiracy theories, Twitter has quietly made a significant change in its stated "Twitter Rules" terms of service.

Following several Congressional hearings meant to root out "Russian interference" by Twitter accounts, as well as an incident in which a disgruntled, now former employee, disabled Donald Trump's twitter account for 11 minutes, it appears that Twitter no longer believes in "speaking truth to power."

The change can be seen in Twitter's TOS, in the “Abusive Behavior” section, which currently states that “We believe in freedom of expression and open dialogue, but that means little as an underlying philosophy if voices are silenced because people are afraid to speak up.”

This is a material change from what this section stated as recently as November 2, when the section read “We believe in freedom of expression and in speaking truth to power"...

... with believing in "speaking truth to power" replaced with "open dialogue."

The change took place just two days after November 1, when Twitter, along with Google and Facebook, were questioned by Congress in the ongoing witch-hunt, as dubbed by Donald Trump, for “Russian influence” that may have led to interference in the 2016 presidential election. As @Jack twitted at the time, the changes to Twitter’s rules were made as part of a November 3 attempt to “clarify” them.

> We just published a clearer version of the Twitter Rules to clarify our policies and how we enforce them https://t.co/gPv9nt3y1M

> — jack (@jack) November 3, 2017

In a statement, the company said that it wanted to make it clear that “context is crucial when evaluating abusive behavior and determining appropriate enforcement actions.”

In its testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Twitter unveiled that it used a vast array of tenuous criteria to define accounts as “Russia-linked,” and also admitted it had censored the hashtags #PodestaEmails and #DNCLeaks tweets during the 2016 US presidential election campaign in an effort to limit public exposure to leaked documents describing the Democratic National Committee’s efforts to boost Clinton as the Democratic Party’s preferred candidate during the primaries, a process which was subsequently defined as rigged by none other than Elizabeth Warren following blockbuster claims by interim DNC chair Donna Brazile. Twitter Associate General Counsel Sean Edgett claimed many of those tweets were “automated” and hidden by anti-spam systems. He also admitted that less than 4 percent of them came from potential “Russian-linked” accounts.

Last week Twitter also announced it was banning all ads from RT and Sputnik, citing the same allegations of meddling in the 2016 US election. That, despite the company previously trying to engage RT in a special US election advertising package, which RT said it had declined.

Later on the same day Twitter revised its TOS language, Twitter announced that while it may no longer speak "truth to power", the reason why power was not allowed to speak for 11 minutes, i.e. when Donald Trump's account was deactivated for 11 minutes, was due to a departing employee's decision that it was in Twitter's best interest to shut up the US president.

> Earlier today @realdonaldtrump’s account was inadvertently deactivated due to human error by a Twitter employee. The account was down for 11 minutes, and has since been restored. We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again.

> — Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) November 3, 2017

> Through our investigation we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee’s last day. We are conducting a full internal review. https://t.co/mlarOgiaRF

> — Twitter Government (@TwitterGov) November 3, 2017

A separate update will be issued on November 14 with more details on how the company reviews and enforces policies, according to Twitter.

- None
- Donald Trump
- Twitter
- Elizabeth Warren
- Testimony
- Google
- Twitter

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## Comment viewing options

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jamesmmu Nov 6, 2017 11:18 AM
Almost One Year in and the Dems Still Don’t Know How to Handle Trump or Move Past Clinton/DNC Corruption

http://investmentwatchblog.com/almost-one-year-in-and-the-dems-still-don...

Badsamm jamesmmu Nov 6, 2017 11:22 AM

Saudis give Hillary $20 million, Saudi Prince owns Twitter, Twitter blames Russia for Hillary’s loss. Seems legit.

I’m hoping that Saudi Prince loses his head this week

Looney Badsamm Nov 6, 2017 11:24 AM

I’ve followed one simple rule and have never been banned from any “social” network – I have never had an account with them! ;-)

Looney

Pinto Currency Looney Nov 6, 2017 11:25 AM

Get on GAB.AI

Twitter is history.

Mercury Pinto Currency Nov 6, 2017 11:32 AM

@Jack Shit:

New policy: "Context" = Speaking Things We Agree With

For fuck's sake - someone please show me an example of a "Russian" internet ad that might have prevented a dumb guy like me into not voting for Hillary Clinton.

Arnold Mercury Nov 6, 2017 11:35 AM

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/us/politics/russia-2016-election-face...

Mercury Arnold Nov 6, 2017 11:48 AM

OMG, This changes everything!!

How could I have been such a fool?

Hillary please forgive us!

Why can't the government make it so the only information/media I see are clean and honest?

That Russian ad that quoted Bernie burns the hardest! Oh the humanity!

Save us from Trump-zillaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!

medium giraffe Mercury Nov 6, 2017 12:08 PM

If it's any consolation, we only Brexit-ed because of Russian interference too.

Damned sneaky Russkies making fools of us all.

Citxmech medium giraffe Nov 6, 2017 12:43 PM

"We believe in freedom of expression and open dialog, BUT..."

Er. No, you obviously fucking don't.

Ms. Erable Citxmech Nov 6, 2017 1:23 PM

To be more precise, the headline could have been shortened to Twitter No Longer Believes in Speaking Truth.

Bai Suzhen Mercury Nov 6, 2017 12:23 PM

I know that when I saw the Army of Jesus ad, fighting Satan and all that, it sure pushed me over the cliff for Hillary. Only thing... I'm still waiting for my blowjob from Madonna. So how did that work out for me, Russia?

ffed Pinto Currency Nov 6, 2017 12:18 PM

yeah right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12QWEl6fHsg&feature=youtu.be

bh2 Looney Nov 6, 2017 11:31 AM

Yep -- works for me, too. Amazing. :)

Pinto Currency Badsamm Nov 6, 2017 11:26 AM

.

Bastiat Badsamm Nov 6, 2017 11:36 AM

Dead prince or live prince? If live, how long? Is he under the care of the Saudi Purge Protection Team?

HRClinton jamesmmu Nov 6, 2017 1:15 PM

So... under the New & Improved Guidelines(DS)(K), can we expect the following from Twitter?

> Saudi or Israeli regimes are no longer systematic and wholesale Human Rights violators?

> Russians are no longer doing anything dubious, nasty or nefarious within Russia or in territories adjacent to its borders?

> Pedophilia does not occur in positions of wealth, power or influence in the US, and is best not discussed?

> We must not ask "Who rules over us"? Dju know what I mean?

Just asking, Twitter.

(Where... [DS = Deep State; K = Kosher])

HRClinton jamesmmu Nov 6, 2017 1:17 PM

ZH/ZHers, What ALTERNATIVE TO TWITTER do you recommend?

Please use a C-Net approach to rating. Thx.

Son of Captain Nemo Nov 6, 2017 11:21 AM

What "POLICY CHANGE"?...

YOU NEVER WERE ALLOWED "TO SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER" using their media, just as youtube reshuffles and buries the card in the "deck" when you go searching for stuff like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=ltP2t9nq9fI) along with the number of votes which have ALWAYS BEEN A LIE!!!

BadDog Nov 6, 2017 11:21 AM

Are they gearing up to ban POUS?

“Rebellion to t... Nov 6, 2017 11:22 AM

Twitter is useful up to the point it gets replaced by something better.

The concept is great, but the weaponized leftists may very well derail it.

Grandad Grumps Nov 6, 2017 11:24 AM

Evil aliens!!!!

E.F. Mutton Nov 6, 2017 11:32 AM

"Truth to Power". Yet another vomit-inducing platitude mistaken for something meaningful by Leftist Retards.

Only one rule needed, Jack - it's called Free Speech. What part of "free" isn't clear, fuckwit?

Citxmech E.F. Mutton Nov 6, 2017 12:46 PM

"Free," is that like "shall not be infringed?

Sanity Bear Citxmech Nov 6, 2017 1:12 PM

"free" as in "you are the product"

cheech_wizard E.F. Mutton Nov 6, 2017 2:15 PM

Sort of like WaPo's "Democracy dies in darkness"... Yet another completely empty platitude.

Calculus99 Nov 6, 2017 11:27 AM

Jack Dorksey = Premium Grade Cuck...

NotBuyingIt Calculus99 Nov 6, 2017 1:37 PM

"Jack Dorksey = Premium Grade Cunt..." FIFY!!!

thecondor Nov 6, 2017 11:27 AM

They only enforce it on conservatives. Fuck twatter.

TuPhat Nov 6, 2017 11:27 AM

It means they will ban anything they don't like. Only the twitter powers that be can determine what it is they don't like.

RagaMuffin Nov 6, 2017 11:28 AM

""speaking truth to power."" A bullshit line if there ever was one

Moe Howard RagaMuffin Nov 6, 2017 11:34 AM

Yes.

I was amazed to hear this phrase used over and over by Obamao appointees after his election to power.

They were the power. It made no sense.

the artist RagaMuffin Nov 6, 2017 12:20 PM

Truth to Power is Liberty itself.

Please when will the Free speach liberty platforms replace the twatters and the facefucks of the world.

DJT killed the NFL in the first mass boycott of the modern age. When will he get a Gab.ai account?

BTW...Gab people...bad marketing. Your brand just doesnt roll off the toungue. It does not harmonize...what am I supposed to do, Send a gab to someone? "President trump gabbed this morning about..."

Sorry, it just does not work. I hate it but twiiter has great marketing appeal. It works as a verb.

HRClinton RagaMuffin Nov 6, 2017 1:33 PM

I learned "Speaking truth to power" from Agent Fox Mulder (X-Files).

I learned "Speaking wisely to power" from Agent Dana Scully. A real MILF, to be sure.

Speaking Wisely simply means that you wrap Truth in qualifiers and surrogate words, to avoid blow-back from a dangerous person in power.

Given the American culture of the Frontier or Wild West, too many are of the pre-programmed mindset that you can say anything you damn well please. You can. But you should expect consequences. The kind that you saw in a Western movie, when a dumb-ass loud-mouth shot off his mouth at the wrong guy in the Saloon. Bam!

https://www.thedailybeast.com/gillian-anderson-i-was-offered-half-duchov...

JustPrintMoreDuh Nov 6, 2017 11:29 AM

Fuck Twatter

screw face Nov 6, 2017 11:30 AM

...tweetface an APP away from oblivion!

Quinvarius Nov 6, 2017 11:34 AM

This seems like a massive retreat from leftist nonsense to me. They are no longer encouraging leftist snowflakes to threaten the President or break laws. I am guessing someone at Twitter with a brain started looking at the undesirable legal outcomes they are going to start having. That PragerU guy already started suing youtube. He will likely win easily because the unequal treatment is obvious and so are the actual financial damages. The pendulum is swinging back from the utter stupidity that happened under Obama's divisive administration.

Tjeff1 Quinvarius Nov 6, 2017 12:42 PM

All good but there needs to be another platform. Or an antitrust lawsuit against youtube / twit / FB

yaright Nov 6, 2017 11:34 AM

Declining users, fake accounts to keep numbers up. Younger users don’t sign up now is not the time to change the rules.

ipso_facto Nov 6, 2017 11:39 AM

There was no 'human error'. It was a deliberate act.

Pernicious Gold... Nov 6, 2017 11:40 AM

"Stunned co-workers reported the disgruntled employee who temporarily disabled the President's Twatter account shouted 'Allahu Akhbar' as she pressed the Enter key."

Late onset ADHD Nov 6, 2017 11:45 AM

"Speaking Truth to Power"... will bring retribution...

the hallmark of our lovely totalitarian deep state...

shankster Nov 6, 2017 11:50 AM

Here's a suggestion...dump Fakebook and tweeter...they don't serve you well.

Sledge750 shankster Nov 6, 2017 1:30 PM

AND THEN GO TO:

steemit.com

Catahoula Nov 6, 2017 11:52 AM

Big drop on the way for the left stink hole.

koan Nov 6, 2017 11:52 AM

Qwitter.

King of Ruperts Land Nov 6, 2017 11:58 AM

Jack and his goats. They like each other.

headless blogger Nov 6, 2017 12:07 PM

But not a thing about AIPAC or all the other Pro-Israeli organizations. If anyone is influencing the USA government and the American Political class it is Israel. They have influenced so much of our foreign policy and it's simply undeniable.If any organization should register as a foreign agent it is Israel.

moneybots Nov 6, 2017 12:07 PM

"Last week Twitter also announced it was banning all ads from RT and Sputnik, citing the same allegations of meddling in the 2016 US election"

The American MSM meddled in our election. Twitter should be banning ads from them.

Youri Carma Nov 6, 2017 12:16 PM

If you're still allowed on Twitter it means you haven't been over the target.

Last of the Mid... Nov 6, 2017 12:19 PM

They just want to disseminate information to billions worldwide on a daily basis and be free from the constraints of being a news organization so they're free to censor any comment that doesn't agree with their socialist/globalist agenda. What the fuck else is new?

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