A 2015 article by Ian Burrell in The Independent Bruce Daisley, the head of Twitter in Europe, told The Independent that Twitter had cracked down on the nuisance users who hurl extreme abuse at those they disagree with. Measures include contacting suspected trolls to tell them “what you are doing here exists in the real world” and encouraging people to publish lists of users they have blocked.
Twitter’s vow to defeat trolls
The head of Twitter in Europe pledges today to defeat the trolls who have scarred the growth of the social media platform and are preventing it from becoming a major player in the burgeoning market for online news.
As the company heads for its 10th birthday in March, Bruce Daisley, the head of Twitter in Europe, told The Independent that the site had cracked down on the nuisance users who hurl extreme abuse at those they disagree with. Measures include contacting suspected trolls to tell them “what you are doing here exists in the real world” and encouraging people to publish lists of users they have blocked.
While Twitter has 320 million global users, and is valued at £22bn, it still lags far behind rivals such as Facebook, which boasts more than one billion users and a valuation of £167bn. “We have spent longer on user safety than any other thing. The measures have directly correlated to a reduction in the amount of bad behaviour,” he said.
Twitter’s reputation has suffered from high-profile users closing their accounts or complaining of abuse. It has also been criticised for its use by Isis to groom Western recruits.
But Mr Daisley pointed out that huge changes in social attitudes over the last 10 years, such as the introduction of gay marriage, could be ascribed to the way Twitter allowed diverse voices into the discussion.
Exclusive By Ian Burrell, December 29, 2015
