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Controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

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  1. 2020

    Twitter faces boycott over handling of antisemitic posts

    Public backlash

    Some Twitter users staged a 48-hour boycott over the platform's handling of antisemitic comments posted on Wiley's social media accounts. Complaints said Twitter was too slow to remove offensive material; a UK government minister demanded an explanation, and the prime minister's spokesman said Twitter's performance had not been good enough. Twitter banned Wiley for seven days.

    Source excerpt

    • The boycott, under the hashtag #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate, followed complaints that Twitter was too slow to remove offensive material.
    • Some of Wiley’s posts were visible for more than 12 hours before being removed.
    • Some Twitter users are staging a 48-hour boycott of the platform over its handling of a stream of anti-Semitic comments that were posted on British rapper Wiley’s social media accounts.
  2. 2020

    Twitter discloses details of account hack

    Issue disclosure

    Twitter disclosed that attackers manipulated employees to access internal systems and take actions on user accounts, including viewing personal information on some accounts. The company stated that its forensic review was ongoing and apologized for the incident.

    Company response

    • Apology — Twitter

      Twitter on Saturday said it is embarrassed, disappointed and, more than anything, sorry for what happened with some of its high-profile users

    Source excerpt

    • "Attackers were able to view personal information including email addresses and phone numbers, which are displayed to some users of our internal support tools," informed Twitter.
    • Days after Twitter accounts of several billionaires were hacked to engineer a crypto scam, Twitter on Saturday said it is embarrassed, disappointed and, more than anything, sorry for what happened with some of its high-profile users as attackers successfully manipulated its employees and used their credentials to access internal systems, including getting through the two-factor protections.
    • In the first detailed summary of the "social engineering attack" via a crypto scam that hit at least 130 users this week, Twitter said for 45 of those accounts, the attackers were able to initiate a password reset, login to the account and send Tweets.
  3. 2020

    Ali Al-Ahmed files lawsuit against Twitter over alleged hack

    Lawsuit filed

    Saudi opposition activist Ali Al-Ahmed filed a civil lawsuit against Twitter in the Southern District of New York, alleging that people exposed through a 2016 hack were later killed or tortured. The article reports the allegation and does not establish a court determination.

    Source excerpt

    • According to the report, Al-Ahmad filed a civil lawsuit in the Southern District of New York demanding compensation from Twitter, alleging that many of those exposed have since been killed or tortured.
    • 一名儿童性交易受害者在加利福尼亚州的美国地方法院对推特(Twitter)提起诉讼,声称这家社交媒体巨头明知故犯地接收和传播儿童色情资料,并从中获利。
    • After he announced his lawsuit on Substack, he added: “Remember, folks - Don’t take the law into your own hands, you take ‘em to court!”
  4. 2020

    Thailand files complaints against Facebook and Twitter over blocked content

    Lawsuit filed

    In a controversy involving Twitter, Thailand's government filed complaints with police against Facebook and Twitter, alleging that the companies failed to comply with court orders to block content judged illegal under Thai law. The complaints were reported on September 24, 2020. The allegation centered on non-compliance with court-ordered content blocking rather than on any specific piece of content or individual. The event reflects a dispute between Thai authorities and the two platforms over the enforcement of domestic legal orders regarding online content.

    Thailand’s government filed complaints with police against Facebook and Twitter, alleging that they failed to comply with court orders to block content judged illegal under Thai law.

    Source excerpt

    • Thailand’s government lodged complaints with police Thursday against Facebook and Twitter, alleging they failed to comply with court orders to block content judged illegal under Thai law.
  5. 2020

    Twitter acknowledges responsibility for photo-cropping algorithm issue

    Company response

    In September 2020, after users reported that Twitter's photo-cropping algorithm favored white faces, Chief Design Officer Dantley Davis accepted the company's responsibility and said the issue would be fixed soon. The acknowledgment followed user reports about the behavior of the platform's automated image-cropping feature. Davis stated that Twitter took responsibility for the problem and that a fix would be forthcoming. The incident drew attention to concerns about bias in automated image-processing systems used on social media platforms.

    After users reported that Twitter’s photo-cropping algorithm favored white faces, Chief Design Officer Dantley Davis accepted the company’s responsibility and said the issue would be fixed soon.

    Company response

    • Clarification — Twitter

      It’s 100% our fault. No one should say otherwise.
    • Remediation — Twitter

      Now the next step is fixing it.

    Source excerpt

    • Twitter’s chief design officer Dantley Davis has apologized for the company’s photo-cropping algorithm, which gives preferences to faces of white people.
    • It’s 100% our fault. No one should say otherwise. Now the next step is fixing it.
  6. 2020

    Twitter accused of shadow-banning an Indian Army account

    Issue disclosure

    A news report stated that Twitter had allegedly shadow-banned the Indian Army's Chinar Corps account after it posted about a rescue operation. The Kalinga Rights Forum said it filed a complaint with the federal government seeking action against Twitter. The report did not specify any outcome of the complaint or further response from Twitter.

    A news report said Twitter had allegedly shadow-banned the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps account after it posted about a rescue operation. The Kalinga Rights Forum said it filed a complaint with the federal government seeking action against Twitter.

    Source excerpt

    • American social media giant Twitter has stirred up a controversy after “shadow-banning” an Indian Army account for reasons unclear so far.
    • "So, now you have started to censor the Indian Army accounts", commented a Delhi-based activist group, which has also filed a complaint against Twitter with the federal government.
  7. 2020

    Twitter apologizes to Indian parliamentary panel over location-tag error

    Company response

    Twitter India verbally apologized to India's joint parliamentary committee on personal data protection after a location tag in a live broadcast showed Leh and Jammu and Kashmir as part of China. The panel asked Twitter to submit a written apology and an affidavit.

    Twitter India tendered a verbal apology to India’s joint parliamentary committee on personal data protection after a location tag in a live broadcast showed Leh and Jammu and Kashmir as part of China. The panel asked Twitter to submit a written apology and an affidavit.

    Company response

    • Apology — Twitter India

      Twitter India on Thursday tendered a verbal apology to the joint parliamentary committee on personal data protection

    Source excerpt

    • Showing strong displeasure, the panel has asked the micro-blogging site to tender a written apology and submit an affidavit in the matter.
    • Days after its location tag in a live broadcast showed Leh and Jammu and Kashmir as part of China, Twitter tendered a verbal apology before India's joint parliamentary committee on personal data protection on Thursday.
    • Twitter India on Thursday tendered a verbal apology to the joint parliamentary committee on personal data protection over location tag in a live broadcast showing Leh and J&K as part of China.
  8. 2020

    Data Protection Commission fines Twitter International Company

    Fine or penalty

    The Data Protection Commission found that Twitter International Company infringed GDPR provisions by failing to notify it of a breach on time and failing to document the breach adequately. The Commission imposed an administrative fine of 450 thousand euros on the company in connection with these findings.

    Company response

    • Clarification — Twitter

      In a statement, Twitter said it respects the DPC's decision, which relates to a failure in its incident response process.
    • Remediation — Twitter

      We have made changes so that all incidents following this have been reported to the DPC in a timely fashion.

    Source excerpt

    • The Data Protection Commission has found that Twitter International Company infringed Article 33(1) and 33(5) of the GDPR in terms of a failure to notify the breach on time to the DPC and a failure to adequately document the breach. The Commission has imposed an administrative fine of 450 thousand euros on Twitter.
    • Twitter has been fined €450,000 after breaching GDPR rules.
    • The Data Protection Commission issued the penalty after the social media giant failed to notify it within 72 hours.
  9. 2020

    Mac repair shop owner sues Twitter for defamation

    Lawsuit filed

    In a controversy involving Twitter, Mac repair shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac sued the platform for $500 million, claiming that Twitter defamed him through its actions concerning a New York Post story about a laptop. The claim centered on how Twitter's handling of the story affected his reputation. The event was reported on December 29, 2020.

    Source excerpt

    • Now the owner of the shop has sued Twitter for $500 million claiming they defamed him:
    • 该诉讼指控推特在发表诽谤声明方面存在严重疏忽,并要求赔偿超过7.5万美元的损失。
    • 麦克‧艾萨克的律师在新的文件中说,推特公司的这份声明是诽谤性的。
  10. 2020

    Twitter apologizes over Trump tweets about intern's death

    Company response

    Twitter apologized for the pain caused to the family by President Trump's insinuation on Twitter that Joe Scarborough may have been responsible for Lori Klausutis's 2001 death. The report says the tweets prompted calls for the company to remove them.

    Company response

    • Apology — Twitter

      The social media platform apologized on Tuesday morning for the president's insinuation that Scarborough, now a television host on MSNBC, may have been responsible for Lori Klausutis’s 2001 death via Twitter

    Source excerpt

    • We are deeply sorry about the pain these statements, and the attention they are drawing, are causing the family,
    • Twitter issued a statement apologizing for tweets from President Donald Trump linking MSNBC host Joe Scarborough to the death of Lori Klausutis, a staffer who worked for Scarborough while he was a Republican congressman.
    • The social media platform apologized on Tuesday morning for the president's insinuation that Scarborough, now a television host on MSNBC, may have been responsible for Lori Klausutis’s 2001 death via Twitter, which has prompted calls for the company to remove the tweets.
  11. 2020

    Twitter files preemptive suit against VOIP-Pal

    Lawsuit filed

    Twitter filed a complaint for declaratory judgment against VOIP-Pal, seeking a judgment that it did not infringe a patent VOIP-Pal had asserted in new lawsuits against other technology companies.

    Stated objective. Twitter sought a declaratory judgment of noninfringement of the patent.

    Source excerpt

    • Twitter has sought a declaratory judgment of noninfringement of the ’606 patent.
    • After VOIP-Pal filed near-simultaneous lawsuits against tech giants Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google, Twitter has turned the tables, filing a complaint for declaratory judgment against VOIP-Pal.
  12. 2020

    Facebook sues analytics company over alleged user-data access

    Lawsuit filed

    Facebook filed a lawsuit in California against an analytics company, alleging that it illegally accessed user data through a malicious SDK installed in apps. The article reports the allegations and does not state a court determination.

    Source excerpt

    • Facebook has filed a lawsuit in California against a data analytics company it claims has illegally accessed user data.
    • New Jersey-based OneAnalytics allegedly paid app developers to install a malicious software development kit (SDK) in their apps. This was designed to harvest information including name, gender, email and username of users logging in to the apps with their Facebook credentials, the social network claimed.
    • The firm is said to have done the same to Twitter and Google users.
  13. 2020

    Twitter Allows Ads Targeting Sensitive and Discriminatory Keywords

    Issue disclosure

    BBC reported that users could target ads on Twitter using keywords associated with neo-Nazism, white supremacy, anti-gay views, and eating disorders, despite Twitter's advertising policy restrictions. Twitter said an error had allowed some inappropriate keywords and that it had corrected it.

    Company response

    • Apology — 推特

      推特為允許用戶以新納粹主義與其他歧視關鍵字,進行微定向(Micro-Targeting)廣告道歉。
    • Remediation — 推特

      推特獲知消息後,已快速修復錯誤。
    • Apology — Twitter

      This was an error and we apologize.

    Source excerpt

    • 推特為允許用戶以新納粹主義與其他歧視關鍵字,進行微定向(Micro-Targeting)廣告道歉。
    • 外國媒體BBC發現,用戶可以在推特上使用新納粹、白人至上主義、反同性戀等關鍵字,對特定族群進行廣告活動,而這明顯違反推特自家廣告政策,推特獲知消息後,已快速修復錯誤。
    • 推特回覆BBC表示,因為錯誤發生導致部分不恰當關鍵字被用在定向上,他們知道後便立即修正,推特也重申,推特有關鍵字定向政策來保護公眾對話,明確禁止部分敏感和歧視性的用詞
  14. 2019

    Twitter apologizes over use of two-factor authentication data for advertising

    Company response

    Twitter acknowledged that two-factor authentication data may have been inadvertently used for advertising, particularly through its Tailored Audiences program. Twitter apologized and said the issue had been fixed; it also said no personal data was shared externally with partners or third parties.

    Company response

    • Apology — Twitter

      Twitter apologizes for using users' 2FA details to serve ads
    • Remediation — Twitter

      Twitter said the issue has been fixed
    • Apology — Twitter

      "This was an error and we apologise," the company said in a blog post.
    • Remediation — Twitter

      The social media giant said the issue was rectified as of September 17, without disclosing how many users were affected.

    Source excerpt

    • There is no clarity on how many people were impacted by this 'error', but Twitter said the issue has been fixed and that no personal data was shared externally with its partners or third parties.
    • Twitter apologizes for using users' 2FA details to serve ads
    • In an official blog post, Twitter said that the 2FA data may have been inadvertently used for advertising purposes, particularly its Tailored Audiences program that allows advertisers to target ads to customers based on their marketing lists.
  15. 2019

    Twitter apologizes for trending a hashtag targeting Trump

    Company response

    In 2019, Twitter apologized after a hashtag translating to “Die Trump” briefly trended in Turkey. The company stated that the hashtag should not have appeared in its trends and that it had prevented the trend from appearing. The incident was reported as a controversy involving the platform's trending topics.

    Company response

    • Apology — Twitter

      This phrase should not have appeared in trends, and we're sorry for this mistake,
    • Remediation — Twitter

      we have now done so with this trend.
    • Apology — Twitter

      Twitter apologized on Monday for briefly allowing the phrase “Mahvolursun Trump,” which roughly translates as “Die Trump” to trend in Turkey.
    • Remediation — Twitter

      At times, we do prevent certain content from trending and we have now done so with this trend

    Source excerpt

    • This phrase should not have appeared in trends, and we're sorry for this mistake,
    • At times, we do prevent certain content from trending and we have now done so with this trend.
    • Twitter has apologized for briefly allowing a hashtag that translates to 'Die Trump' to trend in Turkey.
  16. 2019

    Twitter faces backlash over Sanjay Hegde account suspensions

    Public backlash

    Twitter faced public backlash after suspending Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde's account twice in one week. The suspensions prompted calls to boycott Twitter and demands to restore the account.

    Source excerpt

    • Twitter deemed the photograph unfit and suspended Hegde's account.
    • The suspension of Hedge's account, twice in one week, resulted in a massive backlash against the social media giant.
    • On Wednesday morning, several social media users gave a call to boycott Twitter for 24 hours to mark their protest against the suspension.
  17. 2019

    Federal court dismissed Adrian Rangel's lawsuit against Twitter

    Ruling

    A federal court dismissed a lawsuit brought by Adrian Rangel against Twitter. Rangel had sought $1 billion from the company over the suspension of his account. According to the report, the account was no longer suspended, and the lawsuit had already been dismissed.

    A federal court dismissed Adrian Rangel's lawsuit seeking $1 billion from Twitter over the suspension of his account. The article reports that the account was no longer suspended and that the lawsuit had already been dismissed.

    Source excerpt

    • Rangel’s Twitter account is no longer suspended and it’s not because he emerged victorious from this lawsuit. It has already been tossed by the federal court.
    • Rangel’s short-lived lawsuit [PDF] asked for $1 billion in damages for his brief suspension
  18. 2019

    Researcher reports Twitter phone-number matching vulnerability

    Issue disclosure

    A security researcher reported that he matched 17 million phone numbers to Twitter user accounts by exploiting a vulnerability in Twitter's Android app. According to the report, Twitter blocked his efforts on December 20. A company spokesperson said Twitter was actively investigating how to prevent the bug from being exploited again.

    A security researcher said he matched 17 million phone numbers to Twitter user accounts by exploiting a vulnerability in Twitter’s Android app. The report says Twitter blocked his efforts on December 20, and a company spokesperson said Twitter was actively investigating how to prevent the bug from being exploited again.

    Company response

    • Investigation — Twitter

      A Twitter spokesperson said the company takes these reports seriously and are actively investigating to ensure this bug can’t be exploited again.
    • Remediation — Twitter

      We have taken steps to fix this issue
    • Ongoing disclosure — Twitter

      are directly notifying people who could have been exposed to this vulnerability either through the Twitter app or by email with specific instructions to keep them safe
    • Apology — Twitter

      We're sorry this happened

    Source excerpt

    • In yet another data breach on Twitter which has gone through a bad year on security, a researcher has claimed he matched 17 million phone numbers to user accounts – including high-profile politicians and officials — by exploiting a vulnerability in Twitter’s Android app.
    • Over a two-month period, Balic began alerting users directly and when Twitter came to know, the micro-blogging platform blocked his efforts on December 20.
    • A Twitter spokesperson said the company takes these reports seriously and are actively investigating to ensure this bug can’t be exploited again.
  19. 2019

    Facebook reports third-party SDK data-access incident

    Issue disclosure

    Facebook said security researchers reported that the One Audience and Mobiburn SDKs had been integrated into certain apps, enabling third-party developers to access personal data. Facebook said it removed apps that violated its policies, banned the two actors, and planned to notify affected users.

    Company response

    • Investigation — Facebook

      经过调查,我们将违反平台政策的应用从我们的平台删除,并向One Audience和Mobiburn发出禁止令。
    • Personnel action — Facebook

      经过调查,我们将违反平台政策的应用从我们的平台删除,并向One Audience和Mobiburn发出禁止令。
    • Ongoing disclosure — Facebook

      对于授权这些应用访问自己个人资料,从而导致信息可能泄露的用户,我们计划发出通知。

    Source excerpt

    • Facebook发言人就周一的事件发表了以下声明:“安全研究人员最近通知我们,有两个恶意行为者,分别是One Audience和Mobiburn。他们向开发者付费,让他们在热门应用商店的某些应用中集成恶意的软件开发工具包。经过调查,我们将违反平台政策的应用从我们的平台删除,并向One Audience和Mobiburn发出禁止令。对于授权这些应用访问自己个人资料,从而导致信息可能泄露的用户,我们计划发出通知。
    • Facebook和Twitter收到来自安全研究人员的报告称,他们发现名为One Audience的软件开发工具包允许第三方开发者访问个人数据,包括使用Twitter帐户登录Giant Square和Photofy等应用的用户电子邮件地址、用户名和最近发布的Twitter消息。