Policies

Know the rules.

As a global communication platform, our service encompasses a variety of users with different voices, ideas and perspectives. It’s our responsibility to protect these voices to the best of our ability.

When an issue is reported or flagged by a user, it is sent to one of several teams responsible for policy enforcement. These teams review reports for Twitter Rules violations and, if applicable, take action on the reported account. In some cases, such as spam, Twitter uses automated signals to aid in our reviews and removals of accounts. You can learn more about the policies we enforce below.

Also, to learn more about our approach to safety click here.


  

violent threats, abuse or harassment

We want everyone to feel welcome on Twitter. Accordingly, we don’t tolerate violent threats or Tweets that promote violence. We also prohibit content that threatens or promotes violence or terrorism against a person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age or disability. Read the full policy regarding abusive behavior here.

self-harm

First and foremost: please seek help as soon as possible if you or someone you know is at risk. Contact agencies that specialize in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. If you come across Tweets that indicate someone might harm him or herself, file a report.

private information

Without a user’s express permission, it’s prohibited to disclose information, such as financial account numbers (e.g., credit card or checking account numbers); private or unlisted street addresses; and Social Security or national identity numbers. We also prohibit Tweets that post intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject’s consent. Read more here.

impersonation

Twitter accounts that portray another person in a confusing or deceptive manner may be permanently suspended under the impersonation policy. Read more about the impersonation policy here.

parody, commentary and fan account policy

Users are allowed to create parody, news feed, commentary and fan accounts, provided that they follow certain requirements. Parody, commentary and fan accounts must clearly distinguish themselves from the public figure, character or user whom they’re parodying or referencing. Read about parody account requirements here.

spam

Our rules state that you may not use the Twitter service for the purpose of spamming. Because spam evolves rapidly, so does our definition of what constitutes spamming. Some of the behaviors that we consider when determining whether an account is a spam account include: following/unfollowing large amounts of people in a short period of time, being blocked by lots of users, and frequent unsolicited or duplicate replies or mentions. Read more about our spam policy here.

are you in danger?

If you believe you are in physical danger, please contact local law enforcement. Should you work with law enforcement, it’s important to:

  • Document the violent or abusive messages with print-outs or screenshots.
  • Be as specific as possible about why you are concerned.
  • Provide any context you have around who you believe might be involved, like evidence of abusive behavior found on other websites.
  • Provide any information regarding previous threats you may have received.

To read more about our policies, go here.