Servet Gunerigok
March 19, 2021•Update: March 19, 2021
WASHINGTON
Twitter said Thursday it is conducting a public survey to get feedback on whether world leaders should be subject to the same rules as other users of its platform.
"Politicians and government officials are constantly evolving how they use our service, and we want our policies to remain relevant to the ever-changing nature of political discourse on Twitter and protect the health of the public conversation," said the company in a statement.
"That’s why we’re reviewing our approach to world leaders and seeking your input," it said, adding it wants to hear from the public "should a world leader violate a rule, what type of enforcement action is appropriate.”
The survey starts on Friday and will be available in 14 languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Urdu.
"This is to ensure a global perspective is reflected in the feedback and mirrors the approach we've taken with previous public surveys. The survey will close on Monday, April 12 at 5 p.m. PT," it wrote.
The company also said it is in the process of consulting with a range of human rights experts, civil society organizations and academics worldwide.
"We want to serve the public conversation and allow the public to hear from and engage with leaders around the world. Ultimately, our aim is to have a policy that appropriately balances fundamental human rights and considers the global context in which we operate," said the statement.
Following the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol building in Washington, DC, former US President Donald Trump's Twitter account was suspended indefinitely, which sparked concern among world leaders and top government officials worldwide.
