US computer company Twitter takes overdue action to punish malefactors impugning dignity of Russia. Same must be done to slanderers of DPRK!
— DPRK News Service (@DPRK_News) May 31, 2016
As Twitchy told you, Twitter is joining forces with Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and the EU to put their jackboots on the throats of “illegal hate speech.” Whatever the hell that means. They haven’t really clarified that part, but it seems that they’re at least willing to give us a little hint:
https://twitter.com/Verkkomeedio/status/737671845588111360
More from the article linked above:
At least five English-language Twitter accounts needling the Russian government had been suspended as of May 31, including the popular @DarthPutinKGB. The account mocks Russian President Vladimir Putin — and playfully asserts that it is, in fact, the one being parodied by the Kremlin’s official Twitter feed.
Other suspended accounts included @RusEmbassyNot, a parody of Russian diplomacy efforts; @SovietSergey, which tweaks Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov; @AmbYakovenkoNot, which lampoons Aleksandr Yakovenko, Russia’s ambassador to Britain; and @Russia__Not, which spoofs the Russian government.
…
[T]he man who says he runs two of the frozen accounts in question, aside from @DarthPutinKGB, told RFE/RL in an online chat that he believes the Russian Foreign Ministry may be behind the Twitter suspensions.
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Read the whole thing, if only to get a sense of how downright creepy and Big-Brother-y this is.
Knowing what we know about Russia, is it so far-fetched to believe they’d try to shut down accounts that criticize or mock them? And knowing what we know about Twitter, is it so far-fetched to believe they’d make it easier?
Twitter @support announces that whereas propaganda, disinformation and hate speech is OK, parody is forbidden https://t.co/ro055atvsz
— Jakub Kalenský (@kalenskyj) May 31, 2016
.@Support claims it didn't know @DarthPutinKGB was a parody. "Darth Putin KGB." Does @Support know it's a self-parody?
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) May 31, 2016
What the hell? @DarthPutinKGB was a hilarious account. What's that about, @twitter? https://t.co/y5ppjY4jlb
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 31, 2016
.@RadioFreeTom @DarthPutinKGB Evidently gentle political satire is triggering to the Oberlin students running @twitter.
— IWantNothingHat (@Popehat) May 31, 2016
Dear @Jack, way back when this started, did you see Twitter becoming a lapdog for the new Soviet Union? Because that's what you're becoming.
— IWantNothingHat (@Popehat) May 31, 2016
Meanwhile, Twitter actually is removing accounts satirizing Vladimir Putin from the internet. https://t.co/Z0umjgTJCP
— IWantNothingHat (@Popehat) May 31, 2016
A world where satire must be labeled NOT! is no place for alcohol, large bodies of water, or unblunted scissors.
— IWantNothingHat (@Popehat) May 31, 2016
Twitter policy: parody accounts have to include NOT. @RusEmbassyNot did just that, in its handle.
Kremlin shills. https://t.co/ZTdAsDjljQ
— IWantNothingHat (@Popehat) May 31, 2016
Maybe @support just wants @twitter to be a safe space for bloody-mouthed dead-eyed tyrants
— IWantNothingHat (@Popehat) May 31, 2016
Twitter’s certainly not doing much to discount that theory.
How much influence does Russia have over @Twitter? This is now a real question.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 31, 2016
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Related:
‘Watch out for those scary opinions’! Twitter introduces glorified speech police
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