Twitter reveals rules reinforcements before US mid-term elections

Twitter has announced a new clampdown on fake accounts as it pledges to “improve the health of the public conversation” before the US mid-term elections.

The social media firm has updated its rules as part of efforts to cut down on misinformation.

It has also announced plans to cut the spread of hacked material.

On fake accounts, Twitter said it will take action against accounts found to be using stock or stolen avatar photos and profile biographies, plus those that use “misleading profile information” such as deceptive profile locations.

The platform, along with other social media sites such as Facebook, has been accused of failing to act against attempts to influence previous political events such as elections and referendums via their services.

In a blog post on the updates, Twitter’s head of trust and safety Del Harvey and head of site integrity Yoel Roth wrote: “We are committed to improving the health of the public conversation on Twitter and protecting the integrity of elections is an essential part of that mission.”

Twitter also announced new rules on “attributed activity”, which the platform says means it will now take action against any accounts it is able to reliably associate with an entity that breaches the site’s rules.

“We are expanding our enforcement approach to include accounts that deliberately mimic or are intended to replace accounts we have previously suspended for violating our rules,” Twitter said.

The site’s rules already prohibit the distribution of hacked material but Twitter said it would now also take action against any accounts used to claim responsibility for a hack, including “threats and public incentives to hack specific people and accounts”.

The firm added it would allow commentary on hacks, such as news articles, to continue to appear on the site.

Twitter also said that in August, it removed a total of 770 accounts it claims originated in Iran that were “engaging in coordinated behaviour” linked to spreading false information on the site.

The company said it was continuing to investigate.

Other details released by the site on its policing of the platform revealed it removed approximately 50 accounts in August for misrepresenting themselves as members of US state Republican parties.