Twitter's new policy on hate speech—and how it failed

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has announced that the platform will begin enforcing stricter rules against hate speech, effective immediately. The update follows years of criticism over Twitter's failure to adequately address harassment and abuse on its platform.

Dorsey wrote in a series of tweets that the new policy applies to all forms of hate speech, including slurs, derogatory terms, and threats of violence based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics. It also includes a broader definition of hate speech, which Twitter says will enable it to identify and remove more content that violates its rules.

The new policy comes after years of criticism from advocacy groups and users who have accused Twitter of not doing enough to protect marginalized communities on its platform. Some have even threatened to quit the service over what they see as inadequate action.