In an ongoing effort to foster a safe environment on the platform, and on the occasion of Safer Internet Day, Twitter MENA launched حملة_تويتر_للسلامة# (#TwitterSafetyCampaign). An extension of Twitter’s 2019 MENA safety campaign, which focused on empowering people to identify and report spam.
Launched in a thread of videos highlighting the current safety features, the initiative educates the audience on available tools to enhance their experience on the platform. In parallel, Twitter also unveiled a hashtag-triggered emoji that featured #SaferInternetDay unlocking an emoji of hands holding the world.
The thread also included an invitation to join a Spaces session on Tuesday, Feb 8th at 8 PM UAE. The session will host speakers from diverse backgrounds to address the issue of combating disruptive online behaviours, to first-hand experiences from public figures, as well as insights into the ways in which Twitter is tackling platform abuse, misinformation and spammy behaviours through its safety tools.
The session will be hosted by @TwitterMENA and moderated by radio host, Dalal Al Mhamad (@d_al_Mhamad). Guests include tech expert and influencer, Abdullah Alsabeh (@7Alsabe); quality of life counsellor and social activist, Dr Lujain Daghstani (@lujaindaghstani); Regional Vice President of Internet Society Middle East, Nermine El Saadany (@ISOC_MiddleEast); and Twitter’s Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, MENA, George Salama (@GeorgeSalama).
Commenting on the campaign, George Salama, Twitter’s Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, MENA commented: “Improving the health of the public conversation is paramount to Twitter. Educating people on the tools available to combat behaviours such as spam and abuse is central to our vision of an inclusive, safer internet. Through this initiative, we aim to continue improving peoples’ experiences and ensure that every voice feels safe.”
The campaign garnered the support of influencers on the platform, including actress and singer @Rana__Samaha, professional squash player @noursherbini and tech influencers @MrSaa3d and @7amoodi6 amongst others. The campaign was also endorsed by @DubaiPoliceHQ and non-profit organizations, such as the Internet Society Middle East, who support and promote the development of the Internet as a global technical infrastructure; SMEX, who defend and advance the digital rights of people and communities across MENA; and 7amleh, who advocate for digital rights in Palestine.
Centred around raising awareness and encouraging healthier behaviours online, the campaign reiterates Twitter’s continuous efforts to improve the safety of its platform upon the foundations of meaningful transparency. The campaign coincides with the latest update to Twitter’s Transparency Center, which details enforcement actions taken by the platform and is shared on a bi-annual basis. In the latest report, which includes data from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021, the platform removed 4.7M Tweets that violated the Twitter Rules. The report also highlighted improvements seen across the platform, with an overall downward trend in the number of violating accounts. This is likely due to changing behaviours coupled with continued improvements to the platform’s defences in this area.
The حملة_تويتر_للسلامة# campaign also followed a brand safety initiative launched by @TwitterMktgMENA earlier this year, embedding a proactive, people-based approach at the heart of Twitter’s policies, products and partnerships. The video series showcased products and solutions providing brands with safer experiences on the platform, from the automatic separation of ads and content flagged as sensitive media to its protective Brand Safety Policy, which revealed that 100% of the monetized Twitter Amplify Pre-roll videos sampled met Global Alliance for Responsible Media’s (GARM) high standards.
For more details regarding Twitter’s work to improve the health of the public conversation and more on Twitter’s policies, please visit help.twitter.com, @TwitterSafety, @policy and @TwitterMENA.
