8/15/2016 "AHoneypotForAssholes":InsideTwitters10YearFailureToStop...

"AHoneypotForAssholes":InsideTwitters10YearFailure
ToStop...

OnMay22,2008,ArielWaldmanranoutofoptions.Waldman,thenacommunitymanagerandblogger,had
signedupforTwitterinMarch2007andinmonthshadbecomeoneoftheplatforms100mostfollowed
accounts.Shewas,byherownaccount,addictedtotheservice.

Butsoonafter,theabusebeganfornoreasonotherthanthatWaldmanwasawomanwritingarticlesthat
occasionallytouchedonsexandtechnology.InJune2007,astalkerpostedsomeofherprivateinformationina
stringofthreateningtweets.WaldmancontactedTwitter,whichbannedtheuserinquestionfromthepublic
timeline.Butoverthenexteightmonths,thetargetedabuseandstalkingintensified.ByMarch2008,exhausted
anddisillusionedbyatorrentoftweetscallingheracuntandawhoreandpublicizingpersonalinformation
likeheremailaddress,WaldmanreachedouttoTwitteragain,thistimetothecompanysCEO,JackDorsey.
Afteraseriesofphonecallstothecompanywentnowhere,DorseyandTwitterwentsilent.SoinMay,Waldman
wentpublic,detailingherordealinablogpost,whichcaughtfireinmediacircles.

Twitter,thenstillastartup,wasfreshoffabuzzySXSWdebut,andWaldmanspostwasanunfamiliarbitofbad
press,depictingDorseyinparticularasanunsympathetic,evencowardly,chiefexecutive.Jackexplainedthat
theyrescaredtobansomeonebecausetheyrescaredifitturnedintoalawsuitthattheyaretoosmallofa
companytohandleit,Waldmanwrote.WhileTwitterfounderBizStoneissuedaformalacknowledgmentofthe
problem,arguingthatTwitterisacommunicationutility,notamediatorofcontent,Dorseywassilent.Co
founderEvWilliamswasmorecritical,postingtweetsthatcastdoubtonWaldmansclaimsandhalfheartedly
apologizingwithasimpleourbad.Waldmanwascrushed.Priortomycomingout,Ihadgreatrelationships
withthemandconsideredsomeofthemmyfriends,WaldmantoldBuzzFeedNewsthismonthofthefallout.I
tookitverypersonally.Itsucked.

MorethaneightyearsafterWaldmansordeal,harassmentonTwitterisrampantsomuchsothatithas
becomeaprimarydestinationfortrollsandhategroups.SomuchsothatitsCEOdeclared,Wesuckatdealing
withabuseandtrollsontheplatformandwevesuckedatitforyears.Somuchsothatnumeroushighprofile
usershavequittheservice,citingitasanunsafespace.Today,Twitterisawellknownhuntinggroundfor
womenandpeopleofcolor,whoaretargetedbyneoNazis,racists,misogynists,andtrolls,oftenjustfor
showingup.Justthissummer,actorLeslieJoneswasdrivenoffTwitterafterabarrageofracistcommentsand
deaththreats,onlytoreturnafterapersonalreassurancefromDorseyhimself.Lastweek,NormaniKordeiof
thepopgroupFifthHarmonyalsosteppedawayfromtheserviceaftersufferingyearsofhorrificandracially
chargedtweets.DespiteitsintegralroleinpopularcultureandinsocialjusticeinitiativesfromtheArabSpring
toBlackLivesMatter,Twitterisasinfamoustodayforbeingastoxicasitisfamousforbeingrevolutionary.And
unlessyoureacelebrityor,asitturnsout,thepresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmericagoodluckgetting
help.

Accordingto10highlevelformeremployees,thesocialnetworkslonghistorywithabusehasbeenfraughtwith
inactionandorganizationaldisarray.Takentogether,theseinterviewstellthestoryofacompanythatsbeenill

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equippedtohandleharassmentsinceitsbeginnings.Fencedinbyanabidingcommitmenttofreespeech
aboveallelseandauniqueproductthatmakesmoderationdifficultandtrollingalmosteffortless,Twitterhas,
overachaoticfirstdecademarkedbyshiftingbusinessprioritiesandinstitutionalconfusion,allowedabuseand
harassmenttocontinuetogrowasachronicproblemandperpetualsecondaryinternalpriority.OnTwitter,
abuseisnotjustabug,buttousetheSiliconValleytermofartafundamentalfeature.

ArielDavis/BuzzFeedNews

IfyouwanttofullyunderstandTwittersabuseproblem,agoodplacetostartisatGoogle,yearsbeforethe
firsttweetwaseversent.WhileworkingatBlogger,thewildlypopularGoogleownedpublishingtool,Ev
Williams,BizStone,andJasonGoldmanallofwhomwentontofoundorworkatTwitterwerefacedwith
whatnowfeelslikeafamiliarpredicament.

LikeTwitter,Bloggerhadgrownquicklyasabroadcasttool,becominghometoawidespectrumofvoices,no
smallnumberofwhichwereloudandobnoxiousandobjectionable.Butratherthancensortheunsavoryblogs,
Williamsandcompanysawanopportunitytobuildaplatformcommittedtofreeexpressionandthedemocratic
spiritoftheinternet.Thatdecisionwasfoughtinternally,pittingGoldmanagainstSherylSandberg,atthetime
headofGoogleAdWords,inwhatGoldmancalledastraightupturfwar.

Goldmanwon.WorkingwithAlexanderMacgillivray,adiehardfreespeechadvocatewhowasthenaGoogle
attorney,Bloggermadeacoreprincipleoftheuniversalrighttopublish,despiteoutsidecriticism.Wedontget
involvedinadjudicatingwhethersomethingislibelorslander,GoldmantoldForbesin2005.Thepassagethat
followedreadslikeitcouldbewrittenaboutTwittertoday:Insquabblesbetweenanonymousbloggersand
victimsGooglesideswiththeattackers,refusingtoturnoveranyinformationunlessajudgeordersittoopen
up.Welldoitifwebelievewearerequiredtobylaw,[Goldman]says.

Lessthanayearlater,whenWilliamsandStonefoundedTwitteralongwithDorsey,theybroughtalong
Goldmanandcontinuedlargelywheretheydleftoff.WeworkedhardattheoutsetofTwittertomaintain
freedomofspeechwithclearlimits,StonetoldBuzzFeedNewsinarecentemail.Thisstemmedfrommytime

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atGoogleworkingonthesameissueswithBlogger.ButasWaldmanscaseexemplifies,evenearlyon,
Twittersfreedomofspeechwithclearlimitsfoundcriticswhosawthoselimitsasopaqueandarbitrary.

AndwhileBloggersfreespeechproblemswerenovel,smallscale,andoftenabstract,Twittersfollowermodel
andpublicreplysystemprovedthorniertomanage.Theresabigdifferencebetweenpeoplesayinghurtful
thingsontheeasilymoderatedcommentsectionofahardtofindblogandpeopleshowingupinyourmentions
spewinghatespeech.Theproductquirksweresecondarytofreespeech,oneformeremployeesaidofthe
companysearlydays.TheBloggerbraintruststhinkingwassetinstonebythetimetheybecameTwitterInc.

Inthesummerof2009,thecompanysvalueswerevalidatedwhenTwitterwaslaudedforitsroleingivingvoice
toIranianelectionprotesters.BythetimetheStateDepartmentaskedTwittertodelayscheduledmaintenance
onitsserversinordertokeepprotestcommunicationlinesopenduringtheelection,Twittersreputationasa
powerfulbroadcasttoolwassolidified.Justweekslater,thecompanyhiredMacgillivrayawayfromGoogleasits
firstgeneralcounsel.

WhatwasoncelaudedasavirtuehasnowbecomethecompanysAchillesheel.

Hereyouhaveagreat,influentiallawyerwhophilosophicallybelievedyoudontshutdownaplatformbecause
ofcontroversialspeech,oneformeremployeewhoworkedduringMacgillivraystenuretoldBuzzFeedNews.
Thatethoswasboughtintobyeveryoneinthecompany.Hard.2011broughttheArabSpringandmore
internationalacclaimforTwitterasaplatformforrevolutionaries.Thatsameyear,Twitterfoughtsecret
governmentordertoprovideuserinformationforWikiLeaks.Accordingtoasource,MacgillivrayandStone
spentmonthsworkingonablogpostthatwouldbepublishedduringtheWikiLeakscontroversy,titledThe
TweetsMustFlow.ItwasTwittersboldestcommitmenttofreespeechtodate.ThereareTweetsthatwedo
remove,suchasillegalTweetsandspam,thepostread.However,wemakeeffortstokeeptheseexceptions
narrowsotheymayservetoproveabroaderandmoreimportantrulewestrivenottoremoveTweetsonthe
basisoftheircontent.Notlongafter,TwitterexecutivesbeganpubliclytoutingthatTwitteristhefreespeech
wingofthefreespeechparty,aphrasesourcesattributetoMacgillivray.

ThismaximalistapproachtofreespeechwasintegraltoTwittersrise,butquicklycreatedtheconditionsfor
abuse.UnlikeFacebookandInstagram,whichhavealwaysbannedcontentandhaveneverpositioned
themselvesasplatformsforfreespeech,Twitterhasmadeanideologyoutofprotectingitsmostobjectionable
users.Thatethosalsomadeitabeaconfortheinternetsmostvitriolicpersonalities,whotakeparticulardelight
inabusingthosewhouseTwitterfortheirjobs.Thisspring,theJustNotSportspodcastpostedvideoofsports
fansreadingasamplingofthehatefultweetsthatthesportswritersSarahSpainandJulieDiCaroreceivedwhile
writingandreporting.Thevideoamassedover3.5millionviewsonYouTube.Itsmessage:Thislevelof
depravityiscommonplaceonTwitter.

WhatwasoncelaudedasavirtuehasnowbecomethecompanysAchillesheelitstheaxisaroundwhich
allthisshitwithharassmentrotates,aformersenioremployeetoldBuzzFeedNews.Nearlyallformer
employeesBuzzFeedNewsspoketointhecourseofreportingthisstorysaidthesamething.Thewholefree
speechwingofthefreespeechpartythingthatsnotaslogan,thatsdeeply,deeplyembeddedintheDNAof
thecompany,Twittersformerheadofnews,VivianSchiller,said.ThepeoplethatrunTwitterarenot
stupid.Theyunderstandthatthistoxicitycankillthem,buthowdoyoudrawtheline?Wheredoyoudrawthe

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line?Iwouldactuallychallengeanyonetoidentifyaperfectsolution.Butitfeelstoacertainextentthatitsledto
paralysis.

Aseniorengineerwholeftthecompanybeforeits2013IPOechoedSchillerspoint.Youhavethisopposition
betweendefendingtheusersexperienceandnotshuttingdownspeechallwhiletheresthisbig,toxicmassof
peoplethatareabusing,thesourcesaid.Thattensionhasnow,Ithink,inthepastfewyears,flippedonits
head.Itsclearsomethingneedstobedone.

LookingbackonTwittersearlyyears,multipleformersenioremployeesciteTwittersdisproportionatelywhite,
maleleadershipafrequent,factualcritiqueofSiliconValleysbiggestandmostinfluentialtechcompanies
ascreatinganenvironmentwherebuildingtoolstocombatharassmentwasasecondaryconcern.Theoriginal
sinisahomogenousleadership,oneformersenioremployeetoldBuzzFeedNews.Thisispartofwhat
exacerbatedtheabuseproblemforsurebecausetheywereoftentonedeaftotheconcernofusersinthe
outsideworld,meaningwomenandpeopleofcolor.

Theoriginalsinisahomogenousleadership.

TalktoenoughTwitterinsidersandonethingbecomespainfullyevident:Thecompanysunderstandingofits
platformhasntalwaysbeencleartoemployees,evenatseniorlevelsaproblemthathasmadeitdifficultto
understandhowtopoliceharassment.Onesourcerecallsthat,whenasked,JackDorseyrefusedtoanswer
exactlywhatkindoftoolTwitterwas.Hesaid,Twitterbringsyoucloser,theformeremployeerecalled.AndI
said,Towhat?andhereplied,Ourusersalwaysfinishthatsentenceforus.Andtome,Ithought,Well,its
goingtobereallydifficulttosetpolicyinplaceifwecantdefinewhatthisthingis.

Internally,employeeshavelongraisedquestionsaboutwhetherTwitterwasamediacompanyabroadcast
platformthatshouldbegovernedbycontentstandardsandpracticessimilartoaatelevisionnetworkora
pieceoftheinternetsinfrastructure,likeanISP,thatshouldremainopenandfree.

IfTwitteristhepulseoftheplanet,thenyoureintherealmofVerizon,oneformersenioremployeesaid.And
youdonttellVerizonthattheyhavetopolicethewordsandtopicscominginovertheirphonelines.Ithinkpart
ofwhatexacerbatedtheabuseissueforsolongisthattheresanabsenceofaclearthesisfromTwitter.

Tohearformeremployeestellit,thebetterpartofTwitterscorporatehistoryisdefinedbyaseemingly
unendingsetofproblems,fromkeepingtheserversrunningintheearlydays(Twittersservicedisruptionswere
sofrequent,itsFailWhaleerrorpagebecamefamous)toIPOfundraisingtoasharppivottomobile.There
wereliterallyalwaysotherfirestoputout,alwaysgrowthtargetsbeingmissedandexecsleaving,oneformer
employeetoldBuzzFeedNews.Onesourcedescribedtheinternalcultureasneveroncetranquilandanother
saiditwasintense,chaotic,andmoraledraining,despiteworkingwithsomeofthebestpeopleIveknown.

Theyhadtheabilitytostepupandbealeaderinthisspacetobeproactiveinsteadofreactive.Thatthey
haventdonethatisbeyondme.

Allthewhile,theabuseintensifiedandthepublicbegantotakenotice.In2013,CarolineCriadoPerezlaunched
acampaigntoputJaneAustenonUKcurrencyandquicklybecamethetargetofmorethan50rapethreatsper
hourwhichforcedTwittertorolloutareportabusefeatureforindividualtweets.Thefeaturecameroughly

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sixyearsintothecompanyshistoryandmorethanfiveyearsafterWaldmansordeal.Itfeelslike,notonlydid
theyhaveopportunitiesearlyontotacklethis,buttheyhadtheabilitytostepupandbealeaderinthisspace
tobeproactiveinsteadofreactive,Waldmansaid.Thattheyhaventdonethatisbeyondmeandits
reckless.

Aroundthattime,highprofileharassmentcasesbecameaweekly,ifnotdaily,occurrence,especiallyintheUK.
SinadOConnorwasdrivenofftheservicein2011shelatertoldtheDailyMailshewasgettingtoomuch
abuse.DowntonAbbeyactorLilyJamesquitaftershebecamethetargetofhundredsofhatefultweetsabout
herappearance.ActorMattLucashadtoshutdownhisaccountaftertrollswouldntstopharassinghimafter
thedeathofhispartner.

IntheUS,storiesofTwitterharassmentofwomen,peopleofcolor,andreligiousminoritiesappearedwith
increasingfrequency,comingtoaheadinAugust2014,whenRobinWilliamsdaughterZeldawasforcedtoquit
Twitteraftertrollsfloodedhermentionswithphotoshoppedimagesofherrecentlydeceasedfather.Williams
departurefromTwitterwentviralandpromptedTwittersTrustandSafetyhead,DelHarvey,tocondemnthe
attacks.Wewillnottolerateabuseofthisnature,shesaid,notingthatthecompanywouldworktofindpolicy
fixestopreventcaseslikeWilliams.

ItwasalsoaroundthistimethatTwitterbeganbroadcastinggrislyISISbeheadingsandGamergates
multiprongedmisogynistharassmentcampaigntowardfemalegamers.Harveysteamrolledoutmore
streamlinedformsforreportingabuse,dispensingwithitscumbersomeninepartquestionnaireandadding
backendflaggingtoolsforTwittersTrustandSafetyteam.Onemonthlater,AnitaSarkeesian,afeministwriter
andvideogamecritic,tooktoherTumblrpageandposted157ofexamplesofmisogyny,genderedinsults,
victimblaming,incitementtosuicide,andrapeanddeaththreatsshedreceivedinarecentsixdaystretchon
Twitter.DespitetheoverturesfromTwitter,thetrollswerewinning.

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ArielDavis/BuzzFeedNews

OnOctober25,2013,TwitterreleasedvideoofitsIPOroadshowpresentationtoWallStreetunderwriters.The
37minutepitch,whichresemblesagrainySkypesessioncrossedwithaPowerPointpresentation,featuresa
welldressedDickCostolo(thenTwittersCEO)infrontofabluebackground,staringdownthebarrelofthe
lens.WethinkweveonlyscratchedthesurfaceofeverythingwethinkTwittercanbecome,Costolosaid
unblinkinglyintothecamera.Thereareover2.4billionconnectedpeopleworldwideandover230millionusers
onTwitterwearelessthan10%penetratedacrosstheglobe.Theimpliedlogic:Twitterintendstoconnect
theworldandgrowexponentiallyintheprocess.

Thatdidnthappen.TwittersleaduptoitspublicofferingandsubsequentlacklusterWallStreetperformance
did,however,createalaundrylistofnewchallengesthat,accordingtosomeformeremployees,kneecapped
Twittersproduct.LeadinguptoIPO,itwasallaboutrevenuegrowth,fromCEOondown,aformermemberof
TwittersproductteamtoldBuzzFeedNews.Allinvestmentswentintorevenue,andIknowdefinitelythatthe

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consumerproductsuffered.ForgetabuseIdontthinkwedidanythingwithcoreconsumeratthattime,andI
thinkthatssomewhatjustifiedifthegoalisgoingpublic,thesourcesaid.

AndifTwitterwasfarfromtranquilbeforetheIPO,itonlybecamelesssoafter.Thoughthecompanywas
bringinginconsiderablerevenue,thefearofdisappointingWallStreetwithstagnantusernumbersledCostolo
andtheexecutiveteamtoreshuffleTwittersprioritiesagainandagain,accordingtomultipleseniorsources
whoworkedcloselywithCostoloduringthistime.Accordingtothosesources,Costoloandthecompanysnewly
hiredbankerturnedCFO,AnthonyNoto,weresoreactivestrategicallythatemployeesbeganreferring
internallytothemasthecompanysadhocracy.

Iftheresatrashfireburninginyourfrontyard,sayingyoudontwanttocallthefiredepartmentbecause
youdontwanttogetthehousewetisnotreallyasensicalthing.

NowherewasthisfeltmorethanonTwittersproductteam,thepartofthecompanyinchargeofdeveloping,
testing,androllingoutnewuserfeaturesforTwitteracrossmobileandtheweb.Wehadthisareaofintense,
shiftingfocusineveryareaofthecompanyaroundalmosteveryissueotherthanabuse,oneformerproduct
teammembersaid.Theresultwasthatsince2010,Twitterhashadsevenheadsofproduct(eightifyoucount
Dorseysbriefinterimtenureinearly2016),withfiveofthosejobchangescomingsince2014.Therewerelike
fourVPsofproductduringmytimeontheteamjustneveranycontinuityatall,oneformerteammember
said.Theresalotofjokesyoucansayaboutthelengthoftenureofproductheads,anotherformeremployee
said.Thatlackofcontinuitymeansitsdifficulttogetstuffdone.

Findingaproductsolutionforabusewaslikelookingforamoonshot,anotherformeremployeesaid.But
NASAwouldnthaveputapersononthemoonifbetween59and69thereweresevenheadsofNASA.

SourcesinsidethecompanyintheyearsafterTwittersIPOalsosaidthatproductdecisionswereoften
scrappedorneveradvancedoutofinitialtestsiftheywerethoughttoinhibitusergrowth.Ididseealotof
decisionsbeingmadeintermsofgrowthwhenitcametohowtohandleabuse,whichIget,formerengineering
managerLeslieMileytoldBuzzFeedNews.Butontheotherside,iftheresatrashfireburninginyourfront
yard,sayingyoudontwanttocallthefiredepartmentbecauseyoudontwanttogetthehousewetisnotreally
asensicalthing.

Mileywhowashelpingtorollouttwofactorpasswordauthenticationfortheplatformdescribedlobbying
forayeartorequireallTwitteremployeestoenabletwofactorfortheirownTwitteraccounts.Iwasadamant
thattherewasnogoodreasonnottodothis,becausewhosabiggertargetforaTwitterhackthanaTwitter
employee,herecalled.ButMileyspleaswentunheededinsidetheexecutivebranch,whoworriedtheproduct
wastoohardforemployeestouseandmightstopmanyinsidethecompanyfromtweeting.Iwaslike,Uh,
whatbetterwaytofixthatthandeployingittothousandsandgettingtheirinput,Mileysaid.Buttheysaid,Its
stilltoohardtouseandwewantourpeopleusingtheproduct.ShortlyafterMileygaveuponconvincing
companyleadershiptosafeguardtheiraccounts,NotosTwitteraccountwashacked.

ManyformeremployeescitethestagnationofTwittersproductteamasachiefreasonfortherisein
harassmentafter2012.Ithinkproducthasfailedusers,oneformersenioremployeetoldBuzzFeedNews.
PartofwhatmakesTwittersopowerfulisitsabilitytolevelthecommunicationfieldtweetsfromanonfamous,

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littlefolloweduser,are,intheory,justaseasytosurfaceasacelebritys.Simply,Twitterisbuiltdifferentlythan
mostsocialnetworks.Twoaccountsdonthavetofolloweachothertointeract,andonceatweetisoutinthe
world,theoriginaltweeterdoesnthavetheabilitytomoderateresponses,liketheymightonanInstagramor
Facebookcomment.ThisuniquedesignisresponsibleforsomeofTwittersmostrevolutionaryand
serendipitousmomentsitsalsoperfectforabuse.

Foryears,itallowedthisequalfooting,whereatrollyoudidntfollowandyourbestfriendwhoyoufollowand
interactwithallthetimeweregivenequalweight,andthatscrazy,aformersenioremployeesaid.Seriously,if
youwereanalienandyoucamedowntolookatthisthing,youdsay,Oh,theproductwasbasicallybuiltfor
maximumeaseoftrolling.Like,theymusthavebuiltthisfortrolls.

Employeesclosetotheproductteamechoedthesefrustrations.Thereareeasyantiabuseideasthatproduct
managersbroughtuplike10timeslike,whenyouopenanyfamouspersontweet,thefirstreplyyousee
shouldbesomebodythetweeterfollows,notjustarando,oneformeremployeesaid.Wetalkedaboutthis
ideafiveyearsagothatsaneternityintechandtheyrenotexecuted,andthatdoesnotgivemehope
thattheythinkaboutthisproblem.

Or,asoneformeremployeesaid,productinactioncreatedahoneypotforassholes.

Productinactioncreatedahoneypotforassholes.

SarahHagi,anidentityfocusedwriterwhoisperhapsbestknownforcoiningthephraseCarryyourselfwiththe
confidenceofamediocrewhiteman,toldBuzzFeedNewsshehasbeensubjecttointenseabuseonTwitter
sinceshestartedwritingprofessionally.Hagisaidthattheharassmentcenteredonherismostlyforbeingblack,
Muslim,andfemaleanyvariationofmebeingacrazyMuslimanimalorbeingadisgustingoppressed
Muslimwoman,shesaid.WhenIfirststartedgettingabusivecomments,whichwouldbeanywherefrom
peopleinsultingaspectsofmyidentitytosendingmephotosoffemalegenitalmutilation,Iwouldrespond,butI
quicklylearnedthatmakesitworse.Now,Ieitherblockormuterightawayandtrytonotpayanyattention.The
abusecanmanifestintheformofanisolatedresponseafteraseeminglyinnocuoustweetothertimes,it
comesfromamobofaccountssetuponherbyasingletrollwithalargefollowing.Ithinkbecausenothing
reallyhaschangedwithhowTwitterdealswithharassers,ithasgottenworse,shesaid.Theyknownothing
reallywillhappentothem,sotheycontinuedoingwhatevertheywant.

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ArielDavis/BuzzFeedNews

In2015,GuardiancolumnistLindyWestwroteaboutheryearslongexperiencewithTwitterharassment.In
response,DickCostolowrotehisleakedwesuckatdealingwithabusestaffmemo.Atthetime,employees
insideTwitterthoughttheattentionandthememomightprovidesomemotivationtoimprovetheproduct,
butlittlechangedoncethemediamaelstromshifteditsfocus.Therewouldbepressureafterhighprofileabuse
thatwasgettingpress,oneformeremployeesaid.Butitwasmostly,Well,ifwefixthisproblemthiswayit
wonthappenagain.Andthatstooreactiveitfeltlikefirefightingratherthanasking,Howdoweprevent
fires?

NearlyalltheformeremployeesBuzzFeedNewsspoketopraisedHarveysTrustandSafetyteamforits
commitmenttocurbingharassment,butsuggestedthatfailuresontheproductsideleftithamstrung.They
wereonthefrontlinesworkingwithusersandtryingsohard,aformersenioremployeesaid,butgetting
caughtinarockandahardplacebetweenwhatthestatedmissionofthecompanywasandtheresources
availabletocreatethatenvironment.

IfTwitterhadpeopleintheroomwhodbeenabusedontheinternetwhentheywerecreatingthecompany,
Icanassureyoutheservicewouldbedifferent.

Theywerealsolimitedbyaworkforcethatmultipleformeremployeessayfundamentallydidntunderstandwhat
abuselooksandfeelslike.Thedecisionmakerswerenotpeoplewhogotabuseanddidntunderstandthatits
notaboutcontent,itsaboutcontext,Mileysaid.IfTwitterhadpeopleintheroomwhodbeenabusedonthe
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internetmeaningnotjuststraight,whitemaleswhentheywerecreatingthecompany,Icanassureyou
theservicewouldbedifferent.A2015Women,Action,andtheMediastudyrevealedthat,asof2014,Twitters
leadershipwas79%maleand72%white.

MileywasadamantaboutfindingaproactiveengineeringsolutionforTwitterstrollproblem,buthesaidhe
consistentlycameupagainstoppositionfromaproductteamthatfavoredcontentbasedfilters(preventing
abusivetweetsbasedonkeywords)overcontextbasedprevention(identifyingandstoppingharassmentbased
ontheaccountsinvolvedandthesubjectmatter).Inoneinstance,Mileyarguedtothecompanysproduct
safetyteamthatafilteringalgorithmforthekeywordcuntwastoobroadandwouldcensoraccounts(inthe
UK,thewordcanbeusedasaslangtermofendearment).Ifyoutrytofocusonkeywordsandthenumberof
blocksandunfollows,youllendupwithanalgorithmorbotthatdoesnthavethelevelofprecisionyouneed.

NumerousformeremployeesdescribedTwittersapproachtoharassmentasmimickingthecompanys
approachtofightingspam.Thefocusontheengineeringsidewasfirstonthespamproblem,anditwasa
muchmorevisiblethingformoreusersthanusersafetyandabuseproblems,aformeremployeefamiliarwith
theproductteamsaid.Mileyechoedthis:Spamisasolvedproblemweknowhowtodetectandfilterthat.If
youapproachabuselikespam,youllneverputadentinabuse.

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ArielDavis/BuzzFeedNews
Accordingtoformeremployees,theexternalpressuresstagnantgrowth,mediascrutiny,andconstant
personnelshiftsevencreatedfissuresinTwittersoncerocksolidfreespeechdefense.Shortlyafternews
brokethatZeldaWilliamswasleavingTwitter,CostolowasgettingDMsandtextsfromHollywoodagentsat
firmslikeCAA,threateningtopulltheirhighprofilecelebrityclientsoffTwitterifCostolodidntstopharassment.
Costoloscrambled,orderingteamstodeleteoffendingaccountsandtweets.Weekslater,whenarashof
beheadingvideosappeared,Costologavesimilartakedownorders,causingTwittersfreespeechadvocates,
GabrielStrickerandVijayaGadde,tocallanemergencypolicymeeting.

Insidethemeeting,attendedbyCostolo,Stricker,Gadde,andproductheadKevinWeil(nowInstagrams
productlead)andfirstreportedbyBuzzFeedNews,tensionsroseasCostolosdesiretobuildamorepalatable
networkthatwasmarketableandultimatelyattractivetonewusersclashedwithStrickerandGaddesdesirefor
radicallyfreeexpression.

Youreallythinkweshouldhavevideosofpeoplebeingmurdered?someonewhoattendedthemeetingrecalls
Costoloarguing,whileStrickerreportedlycomparedCostolostakedownofundesirablecontenttodeletingthe
ZapruderfilmafterobjectionsfromtheKennedyfamily.Ultimately,themeetingendedwiththegroupdecidingto
carveoutpolicyexceptionstokeepupgrislycontentfornewsworthiness,accordingtoonepersonpresent.
ThoughStrickerandGaddewon,onesourcedescribedafrustratedCostololeavingindisagreement.Ithinkif
youguyshaveyourwaytheonlypeopleusingTwitterwillbeISISandtheACLU,Costolosaid,accordingtothis
person.

IthinkthepressureoverusergrowthtotallyexacerbatedDicksdecisionmakingatthistime,thesourcetold
BuzzFeedNews.Lookingback,itsthatongoingpartoftheadhocracywecanthavebigpolicyprecedents
beingsetbyonepersonforonesmallscenariowhennobodyswatching.Meanwhile,wehaveteamsalso
talkingwithRussianandTurkishdictatorsaskingustocensortheplatformforthemandweretellingthemto
fuckoff.Theresnocontinuity.

But,accordingtosources,Costolocontinuedmakingcensorshipdecisionsforcelebritiessometimesin
secret.Inthemiddleof2015,CostoloandNoto,frustratedthatReddithadbecometheinternetsgoto
destinationforcelebrityQ&Asessions,madeapushviaTwittersmediateamtofacilitatemorelivetownhall
discussionswithinfluentialusers.InMay2015,afterthecompanysecuredan#AskPOTUSQ&AwithPresident
Obama,CostolosecretlyorderedthemediapartnershipsteaminsideTwittertouseanalgorithmtofilterall
tweetsdirectedatthepresidentforabusivelanguage.

Accordingtoonesource,thealgorithmwasfedthousandsofexamplesofabusiveandharassinglanguagein
ordertoblockvitriolictweets.Anothersourcesaidthemediapartnershipsteamalsomanuallycensoredtweets,
notingthatTwitterspublicqualityfilteringalgorithmswereinconsistent.Participantsinthe#AskPOTUStown
hallwereneverinformedthattweetswouldbecensored,andtwosourcestoldBuzzFeedNewsthatthe
decisiontofilterwaskeptfromspecificseniorcompanyemployees,forfeartheywouldobjecttothedecision.

AnothersourceallegesthatTwitteralsodeployedthecensoringalgorithmforaQ&AwithCaitlynJenner.This
wasanotherexampleoftryingtowoocelebsandshowthatyoucanhavecivilizedconversationswithoutthe
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hateevenifyoureahighprofileperson,oneformeremployeesaid.Butitsanotherexampleofadouble
standardwellprotectourcelebrities,whiletheaverageuserisouttheresubjecttoallkindsofhorrible
things.Costolodidnotrespondtomultiplerequestsforcomment.

JustamonthaftertheObamaQ&A,CostolosteppeddownasCEO,retainingaseatonTwittersboard.Inan
exitinterviewwithTheGuardianonJune30,2015,hedefendedTwitterscommitmenttofreespeech.Iwillsay
directlythatIthinkregulationisathreattofreespeech,hesaid.

ArielDavis/BuzzFeedNews

TheJennerandObamaincidentswerenttheonlytimeTwittersseemingdoublestandardforcelebritiesand
noncelebritieswasthrownintorelief.ThisJuly,whenGhostbustersactorandSaturdayNightLivecastmember
LeslieJoneswassubjecttoacascadeofracistandsexistharassmentledbyconservativebloggerMilo
Yiannopoulos,Jonesquittheservice.TwitterscurrentCEO,JackDorsey,reachedouttoJonesand,followinga
conversation,permanentlybannedYiannopoulos.Jonesreturned,butTwittersprocessforhandlinghighprofile
instanceslikeJonesremainsopaque.

AndasimpleTwittersearchforharassmentturnsupdozensoffrustratednoncelebrityusers,manyofwhom
experiencedailythreatsandabuse,andalmostnoneofwhomhaveadirectlinetoDorsey.Onetweetfrom
authorandwriterJessicaValentisuggestedthatthetrollswereunfazedbyTwittersban.ThismorningIwoke

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uptoarapeanddeaththreatdirectedatmy5yearolddaughter.Thatthisispartofmyworklifeis
unacceptable,itread.

Lastmonth,duringthecompanysmostrecentearningscall,Dorseymadeafamiliardeclaration,vowingto
combatabuseinthecomingmonths.NoonedeservestobethetargetofabuseonTwitter,Dorseysaid.And
weneedtodobetter.Formeremployeesareskepticalatbest.Ithinkanytimeyouhaveachangein
leadership,theprioritiesshiftabit,Miley,wholeftTwitterearlyin2016,toldBuzzFeedNews.WhenDickleft
andJackcameontherewasalotofjockeyingonwhataretheprioritiesareforTwitter,andIthinkthefocus
droppedoffofabuse,hesaid.AnothersourcewasconcernedthatDorseysotherdayjobasCEOofSquare
mightmakesolvingharassmentmoredifficult.Jackiswonderfulandtrulycaresdeeplyaboutharassment,
butasaparttimeCEO,itsreallydifficulttokeepthepressureon,thesourcesaid.Hesincredible,butatleast
ontheTwitterside,thecompanyneeds1,000%focus.

Asalways,thereshopefromexecutivesthatTwitterwillmakethingsright.InFebruary,TwitterformedaTrust
andSafetyCouncil,withmorethan40partners,includingAnitaSarkeesian,toprovideproductandpolicyinput.
CofounderBizStonetoldBuzzFeedNewsthat,behindthescenesunderDorsey,Twitterisworkinghard,and
makingprogressinthisspace.AndheaddedthatTwitterneedstoevolvewiththetimes:Noemployeeshould
everbeinthepositionofhavingtodecide,subjectively,whatqualifiesasfreespeechandwhatdoesnot.A
strongconstitutiongoesalongwayhere.AformerseniorexecutivesuggestedthatTwitterhasnewplansin
theworks,andthathehasevenmockedupcomprehensiveproductsolutionstocombatabuse,whichhave
beengiventoDorsey.

Otherssuggestthatforthcomingchanges,whilenecessary,mightbetoolittle,toolate.IftomorrowTwitter
implementedasetofsuperreasonablereforms,itwouldrightlysufferthecriticismthat,whilethisisgreat,it
tooktoolong,aformersenioremployeetoldBuzzFeedNews.Thelongeryouwaittotakesteps,thebetter
thefixesneedtobe.Itslike,Awesome!Butittooktookyou10years.Whatswrongwithyoupeople?

Whenreachedforcomment,aTwitterspokespersonemailedthefollowingstatement:SafetyonTwitterisatop
priorityforus.Noonedeservestobesubjectedtoabuseonlineandourrulesprohibitincitingorengagingin
abuseorharassment.

Eightyearsafterherblogpost,ArielWaldman,thefirstpubliccaseofTwitterharassment,hasmovedon.
WaldmanchosenottoquitTwitter,optingtoendurethetrollsandslursinfavorofitsbenefits.

ItfeelslikesomuchworktouseTwitter,andthatshouldbearealredflag.

Butthingshavegrownworse.Inthelasttwoweeksshewasbarragedwithdozensofabusivetweetsaftershe
postedaphotoofherselfwearingaheadscarfsheboughtforanupcomingtriptoIran.WithinsecondsIhada
delugeofpeopletweetingthemostraciststuffatmeitwasborderingonmurderous,shesaid.Soshe
deletedthetweet,blockeddozensofusers,andpostedthephototoInstagram,wheresheisntharassed.Afew
daysagoWaldmantweetedaboutanupcomingNASAgrantandthetweetwasseizeduponbyneoNazis
advocatingforthegenocideofallpeopleofcolor.

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Waldman,likeeverysingleoneofthedozenpeopleinterviewedforthisstory,stressedthatshelovedTwitter
thatwhenitworksasitshould,itsempowering,exciting,evenlifechanging.But,likealmosteveryparticipantin
thisstory,WaldmansvoicegrewtiredwhilemakingexcusesforTwittersshortcomings.Imean,thethingis
thatitsjustgettingtothatpointwhereitsbecomesuchanexhaustingservicetouse,shesaidwithaheavy
sigh.Thatblocking20awfulpeopleeverydayhastobeapartofmylogisticalrealityevenwhenImnot
seekingabuseout.ItsjustitfeelslikesomuchworktouseTwitter,andthatshouldbearealredflag.
Theyveclearlyshowedtheydontwanttomakeabuseapriority.

Itslike,whowouldreasonablywanttouseaservicethatdoesthistoyou?

CharlieWarzelisaseniorwriterforBuzzFeedNewsandisbasedinNewYork.Warzelreportsonandwrites
abouttheintersectionoftechandculture.
ContactCharlieWarzelatcharlie.warzel@buzzfeed.com.

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