Ever since it gave birth to its first anonymous, hateful egg, Twitter has been promising to do something to repair its reputation as a verbal battle royale of vitriolic threats and malicious dog-piling. After a decade of half-steps (and steps back, in some cases), Twitter has now given an actual timeline for when it will implement what it hopes are policy changes that will result in a less menacing social media platform — but can Twitter actually stuff its nasty genie back in the bottle? [More]
harassment
Twitter Cracks Down On Nudity, Harassment & Violence… Again
By 10.18.17
For years now, Twitter has been rolling out tool after tool designed to combat harassment and abuse. While the company says these initiatives are working — despite a lack of data — it’s also doubling down on its efforts: Twitter will soon roll out another set of changes to protect users. [More]
How Facebook Secretly Decides What Counts As Hate Speech
By 6.28.17
Facebook, like many social media platforms, wants to be a supporter of free expression without being seen as actively encouraging hate speech, threats, or harassment. Internally, Facebook has guidelines on what crosses that threshold, but a new investigation finds that these rules do not always make sense, nor do they tend to protect those who are most likely to be targeted. [More]
Twitter Confirms It’s Trying To Identify Abusive Accounts Before Anyone Reports Them
By 3.1.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Twitter is on a roll: In its second safety update of the year aimed at curbing harassment on its platform, the social media network says it will now proactively try to identify abusive accounts — even before anyone has reported them for being abusive. [More]
Twitter Adds New Features To Hide, Possibly Prevent Some Abuse
By 2.7.17
Twitter’s own CEO once candidly declared that the social media network “suck[s] at dealing with abuse and trolls,” and the company — as recently as last week — has repeatedly made promises to do something to curb the ugliness. Today, Twitter announced a trio of new tools that it hopes may mitigate the widespread abuses. [More]
Man Claims Grindr Refused To Delete Multiple Fake Profiles Set Up With His Info
By 2.1.17
When you’re looking for romance online, you’re right to be cautious about fake accounts using someone else’s photos and information. But what happens when you’re the one whose image and info is repeatedly being misappropriated by an ex, resulting in scores of amorous suitors showing up on your doorstep? [More]
Twitter (Again) Promises New Approach To Reduce Harassment And Abuse
By 1.31.17
Twitter is something of a double edged sword, for its millions of users. On one hand, conversations are fast-flowing, free, and open, and a single retweet can bring that smart thing you said to everyone’s attention. Conversely, a single retweet can bring that smart thing you said to the attention of a roving hate mob, making your life utterly miserable and possibly putting you in actual danger.
Twitter’s been saying for years that it needs to improve its tools for mitigating abuse and harassment, and for years users have been finding each new option insufficient at best. But this time, the company’s leadership promises, they’re going to make good changes. For real. [More]
Instagram To Let You Turn Off Commenting & “Like” Positive Comments
By 12.6.16
Just weeks after Twitter announced that it would be stepping up its efforts to hide and report harassment and abuse, Instagram says it’s also launching a new tool to give users more controls over the comments on the photos and videos they post. [More]
Twitter Might Let You Use Keyword Filters To Curb Online Harassment
By 8.26.16
For the last three years, Twitter has worked to improve the safety of users by creating and adapting its blocking policy and tools. Now, the social network is reportedly looking to create a tool that would allow users to search for certain words they find offensive and block those messages. [More]
Reddit Adds Tool To Block Unwanted Messages, Posts
By 4.7.16
Reddit bills itself as a place where just about anyone can voice their opinion, ask questions, and otherwise interact with the hordes of people cruising around on the Internet. For years, though, many have been concerned that the site’s open environment is conducive to harassment. And so this week the company took a step to make more users feel welcome by debuting an enhanced ‘block’ tool. [More]
Facebook Creating A Tool To Tell You When Someone Impersonates Your Profile
By 3.24.16
You may have been there: you see a Facebook friend posting a warning not to accept a “friend” request from a fake account bearing their name and photo – it’s a trick, that person isn’t really your friend. While you might still see that cautionary message in the future, Facebook is now taking steps to weed out accounts impersonating others. [More]
Microsoft Finally Resolving A Five-Year-Old Skype Privacy Flaw For All Users
By 1.22.16
There’s a security flaw in Skype that can expose users’ location. That’s not the news, though: that flaw was discovered in 2010, and published in 2011. No, the news is this: after more than five long years and one big acquisition by Microsoft, that problem is finally fixed. [More]
Man Allegedly Fights Employees, Officers After Peeping Over Women’s Restroom Stall At Walmart
By 5.11.15
Over the years there has been no shortage of stories on Consumerist about peeping Toms hiding in women’s restrooms (the guys who fell through the movie theater ceiling) or department store changing rooms (the man who was chased by a topless woman at Kohl’s). But the latest unsettling incident took a dramatic turn after the alleged ogler supposedly assaulted employees and police officers after being found out. [More]
Ex-Taco John’s Employee Claims Insulting Nametag Was Forced On Him
By 6.26.14
A 16-year-old took a job at a South Dakota Taco John’s, but didn’t sign on for verbal abuse from his manager. Finally, he says, the worst insult came earlier this week when his manager handed him a nametag with “♡GAYTARD♡” printed on it and forced him to wear it for his whole shift, including in front of customers. [More]
San Francisco Landlords Plead Guilty To Making Tenants’ Lives Miserable
By 6.20.13
The couple who took over ownership of a San Francisco apartment building in 2006 wanted their tenants out. That can be very inconvenient for the tenants, but it happens. The tactics they used during their two-year reign of tenant terror were unusual, ranging from stealing and trashing tenants’ belongings to cutting floorboards, setting fires, and forging e-mailed death threats from tenants to their own attorneys. [More]
Dad Complains To LEGO About Leering Minifig, Teaches Everyone About Brand Licensing
By 5.2.13
When a dad noticed a set of licensed LEGO stickers with a catcalling construction worker minifigure on it, he was “stunned” and posted a photo on Tumblr.. Street harassment isn’t the most pressing issue facing women today, but it can be a problem, and certainly isn’t appropriate for a children’s product. [More]
Gym Staff Member Bullies Couple For Being Fat, So They Want Out Of Their Contract
By 2.5.13
It’s hard enough some days to motivate oneself to get off the couch and head to the gym: what if you had to worry about being bullied and harassed by one of the staff personal trainers whenever you’re inside the facility? That’s what’s happening to Shayla and her husband. Now they want to be released from their contract, presumably so they can go to a different gym with fewer jerks on staff. [More]
