Twitter to issue new safety rules post McGowan-sparked protest

In the backdrop of protest, #WomenBoycottTwitter, sparked by actor Rose McGowan, Twitter has decided to roll out new safety rules in the “next few weeks”.

Large number of women participated in the campaign to protest the silencing of their voices on the microblogging site.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has announced that the social media platform will be issuing new safety rules around “unwanted sexual advances, non-consensual nudity, hate symbols, violent groups, and tweets that glorifies violence.”

“Today we saw voices silencing themselves and voices speaking out because we’re still not doing enough. We’ve been working intensely over the past few months and focused today on making some critical decisions. We decided to take a more aggressive stance in our rules and how we enforce them,” Dorsey tweeted.

The co-founder said that more information regarding the rules will be shared next week.

#WomenBoycottTwitter gained momentum after Twitter locked McGowan’s account for violating the rules when she posted a personal phone number in one of her tweets.

The “Charmed” actor had spoken out about being raped by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

McGowan shared posts from other users who said her account was locked for speaking out against powerful male actors, such as Ben Affleck, in the wake of sexual harassment allegations surrounding Weinstein.

Alyssa Milano, Gina Rodriquez, Ava DuVernay, Kathy Griffin, Chrissy Teigen and Amber Tamblyn were among the stars who joined McGowan in the protest.

Following Dorsey’s announcement, McGowan asked Twitter to set an example by revoking white supremacist leader, Richard Spencer’s verification. “Start by immediately removing Richard Spencer’s verification,” she tweeted.