Katy Paul and Sheila Dang
(Reuters) - Twitter relies on automated content moderation and prioritizes posting restrictions over immediate deletion of certain messages, the new director of its trust and security division told Reuters.
Twitter is also imposing stricter restrictions on hashtags that can cause abuse and search results in certain areas, including child exploitation, Irwin added.
“The biggest change is that the team can now react faster and as aggressively as needed,” she said Thursday in the first interview with the social media chief since its takeover by Elon Musk.
The statements come after researchers reported a spike in hate speech on the platform after Elon Musk announced an amnesty for some accounts suspended by the previous management team.
Ella Irvin explained that Elon Musk encourages the team to focus on security, a company priority, instead of worrying about user growth or revenue. “He emphasizes (that safety is a priority) every day, several times a day.”
The company’s willingness and ability to moderate malicious and illegal content has been called into question after Elon Musk fired half of its employees.
(Report by Katie Paul and Sheila Dang; French version by Camille Raynaud)