Twitter MUST take down abusive online messages within 24 hours, Yvette Cooper demands, as she accuses the social network of ‘failing’ users
The Labour MP and Fawcett Society boss Sam Smethers accuse the network of 'failing women' by not tackling abuse quickly enough
TWITTER must take down online threats and abuse within 24 hours from when they are reported, Yvette Cooper has demanded.
The Labour MP has joined forces with Fawcett Society boss Sam Smethers to accuse the social network of "failing women" by not tackling abuse quickly enough.
They highlighted research which showed that racist abuse, threats, violent language and hate speech was reported to the platform but was still online days later.
Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger has been subjected to sustained hateful antisemitic and misogynistic abuse online.
Rhodri Colwyn Philipps, the 4th Viscount St Davids, was handed a 12 week prison sentence in July 2017 after offering to pay £5,000 to anyone who ran over the pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller.
Ms Cooper said the company "need to get their act together" and labelled their slow actions on abuse as "disgraceful"
She said: "Twitter claims to stop hate speech but they just don't do it in practice.
"Vile racist, misogynist and threatening abuse gets reported to them, but they are too slow to act so they just keep giving a platform to hatred and extremism.
"It's disgraceful and irresponsible."
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The pair called on the company to ask them how long it usually takes to investigate and take down abuse, how many staff do the job, and what more is being done to make the platform a safe place.
Since media reports have been published citing some of the examples, a number of the mentioned accounts have been suspended and some posts have been deleted.
Twitter said said they were determined to do more to tackle abuse.
A spokesperson said: "Abuse and harassment have no place on Twitter. We've introduced a range of new tools and features to improve our platform for everyone, and we're now taking action on ten times the number of abusive accounts every day then the same time in 2016.
"We will continue to build on these efforts and meet the challenge head on."
The firm highlighted new rules and systems which have removed twice the number of repeat offender accounts.
that users can take advantage of - which allow them to block and mute users, keywords and filter out abuse.
The company has also been keen to support initiatives against online bulling and improving mental health on social media.
Yesterday police announced plans to take hate crimes on social media as seriously as offline offences.
Latest figures from the CPS showed that they prosecuted more than 15,000 hate crimes in 2015/16 - the highest number ever.
