(Reuters) – Twitter relies on automation for content moderation and prioritizes posting restrictions over the immediate removal of some posts, the new director of its trust and safety division told Reuters.
Twitter also places greater restrictions on hashtags that can cause abuse and search results in certain areas, including child exploitation, Irwin added.
“The biggest change is now the team can react as fast and as aggressively as needed,” he said Thursday in the first interview with an executive of the social network since its takeover by Elon Musk.
The statements come as researchers reported an increase in hate speech on the platform after Elon Musk announced an amnesty for some accounts suspended by the previous management team.
Ella Irwin explained that Elon Musk encourages the team to focus on security, the company’s priority, instead of worrying about user growth or revenue. “Emphasize (that safety is the priority) every day, several times a day.”
The company’s willingness and ability to moderate harmful and illegal content has come into question after Elon Musk fired half of its employees.
(Report Katie Paul and Sheila Dang; French version Camille Raynaud)
