The eSafety Commissioner of Australia has taken a significant step by issuing a legal notice to Twitter, requesting information regarding the actions taken by the social media platform to combat online hate.
Over the past year, eSafety has witnessed a surge in complaints related to online hate on Twitter, surpassing any other platform. This rise in complaints aligns with an increase in reports of severe online abuse following Elon Musk’s takeover of the company in October 2022.
This troubling trend occurred alongside a substantial reduction in Twitter’s global workforce, with a decrease from 8,000 employees to just 1,500, including personnel in their trust and safety departments. Twitter also ended its public policy presence in Australia during this period.
Simultaneously, Twitter introduced a “general amnesty” in November, which led to the reinstatement of 62,000 previously banned or suspended users, including 75 accounts with over 1 million followers.
Failure to respond to the recent notice within 28 days could expose Twitter to potential daily fines of nearly $700,000 for ongoing breaches.
This latest notice about online hate comes on the heels of a previous effort in February to seek answers from various platforms, including TikTok, Google YouTube, Twitch, and Discord, about their measures to address child sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual extortion, and the promotion of harmful content by their algorithms. eSafety is currently evaluating the responses to those notices and intends to provide appropriate information in due course.
Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, highlighted that Twitter’s terms of use and policies already prohibit hateful conduct on the platform. Nevertheless, the escalating number of complaints to eSafety and the persistence of this content publicly visible on Twitter indicate a lack of enforcement of these rules.
Ms. Inman Grant expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of online hate, emphasizing that nearly one in five Australians has experienced some form of online hate. She noted that this issue is even more pronounced for First Nations Australians, disabled individuals, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+.
According to her, Twitter appears to have fallen short in addressing this problem, as a third of all complaints about online hate reported to eSafety are now related to Twitter. There are also reports of reinstated accounts emboldening extreme polarizers and purveyors of hate, including neo-Nazis, both in Australia and abroad.
“We are seeing a worrying surge in hate online,” Ms Inman Grant said. “eSafety research shows that nearly 1 in 5 Australians have experienced some form of online hate. This level of online abuse is already inexcusably high, but if you’re a First Nations Australian, you are disabled or identify as LGBTIQ+ you experience online hate at double the rate of the rest of the population.
“Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate. A third of all complaints about online hate reported to us are now happening on Twitter.
“We are also aware of reports that the reinstatement of some of these previously banned accounts has emboldened extreme polarisers, peddlers of outrage and hate, including neo-Nazis both in Australia and overseas.”
eSafety’s concerns are echoed by various organizations, including GLAAD, which recently designated Twitter as the most hateful platform towards the LGBTQ+ community. Research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) revealed a significant increase in slurs against African Americans on Twitter after Musk’s takeover.
The Anti-Defamation League also found a substantial increase in antisemitic posts referring to Jews or Judaism after Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
Ms. Inman Grant emphasized the need for transparency and accountability from these platforms to protect their users, and the legal notice serves this purpose.
Under the Online Safety Act, eSafety has regulatory powers that cover serious adult online abuse, cyberbullying of children, and image-based abuse. In some cases, hate speech may meet the statutory thresholds of adult cyber abuse. eSafety encourages individuals who have experienced online abuse to report it to the platform and, if necessary, to report it to eSafety at www.esafety.gov.au/report.
eSafety ensures its regulatory decisions are made impartially and in accordance with the legislative requirements set out in the Online Safety Act.
