Tweeters Protest Block of Country-Specific Tweets
Twitter is ablaze with users commenting under the hash tags of #TwitterCensored and #TwitterBlackout following a blog post stating that the company has developed a tool that allows them to block Tweets in certain countries, while allowing them to show in the rest of the world. Prior to this new ability, censored Tweets were removed globally.
According to Twitter, the company is legally responsible for blocking content based on the tweet’s country of origin. Twitter has reassured users that it would attempt to alert them when Tweets are blocked and provide a reason for blocking content. The company has also partnered with Chilling Effects to create a new site that shows who is asking Twitter to censor a Tweet and the reason behind the request. Tweeters aren’t appeased.
Many users are threatening to boycott Twitter on January 28 by not Tweeting for the entire day. Some users, whose countries have already moved into Saturday, have already begun signing off. Many have suggested that a single day of boycott is not enough to stop the new rule from taking effect. A few users have also alluded to the $300 million investment by Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and its impact on this decision.
While very active at the time of this post, neither #TwitterCensored, nor #TwitterBlackout were trending topics. Shame on you, Twitter.
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