Days after Twitter updated its policies to fight abusive content on its platform, some Twitter users earlier today reported that searching for terms like “bisexual” in photos, videos, beared no results, while looking for other terms, such as “homosexual,” “gay,” or “lesbian, yielded.
“We’ve identified an error with search results for certain terms. We apologize for this. We’re working quickly to resolve & will update soon,” Twitter tweeted from its support page.
According to a report in TheVerge, activists are understandably upset about this: advocacy group The Bisexual Index told BBC Newsbeat that people who identify as bisexual have "historically been hypersexualised and associated with porn and promiscuity." The absence has led some groups such as Bi Pride UK and Human Rights Campaign cry foul, saying that the company is attempting to erase the term.
Last week, Twitter published a new version of the Twitter Rules to clarify on policies and how the social network will enforce them. The updated rules include section on abusive behaviour, spam, violence, graphic and adult content.
As part of this update, Twitter is clarifying that when the company review accounts that demonstrate spam-like behaviour, it will focus on behavioural signals, not the factual accuracy of the information they share.
The company also said it will take into account the latest trends in online behaviour, considers different cultural and social contexts, and properly sets expectations around what’s allowed on Twitter.
Twitter will also be updating its media policy Help Centre page so it includes examples that help set expectations around the types of content the social network considers to be “graphic violence” or “adult content.”
