Twitter users have expressed outrage at a troll’s use of Twitter’s promoted tweets to insert abuse targeting transgender people into their feeds.
The troll account, pretending to be that of Australian activist and feminist campaigner Caitlin Roper, posted abuse and graphic images and promoted a tweet using Twitter’s paid-for native advertising service which called for trans people to kill themselves.
The promoted tweet started appearing in the Twitter streams of many users, who reacted with anger both at the content and the fact that Twitter had promoted the tweet.
Why the fuck is this disgusting shit being promoted into my timeline? What the hell is going on? pic.twitter.com/ZJ4TUwI70z
— Caspar Salmon (@CasparSalmon) May 20, 2015
What the fucking FUCK?! pic.twitter.com/xRqCQJz2n0
— Ed Fear (@edfear) May 20, 2015
(TW: transphobia) Hey, @twitter, what the HELL is that promoted tweet? How on earth did that just appear on my TL? pic.twitter.com/vrPqlF24iy
— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) May 20, 2015
The account was suspended within hours by Twitter after multiple reports of abuse. The promoted tweet was also pulled from the service.
Roper, the activist whose account was impersonated, has been targeted for abuse before, including cloned accounts pretending to be her and making derogatory sexual comments.
Hi friends, someone has created a Twitter account impersonating me and tweeting hateful comments. Account suspended, thanks for your help x
— Caitlin Roper (@caitlin_roper) May 20, 2015
She has been targeted by various “men’s rights groups” including a group called A Voice For Men. At this stage it is not known who was behind the troll account on Twitter.
Earlier this year Twitter announced a crackdown on abuse, with tighter rules on what can be permitted on the social network, including banning indirect threats of violence.
The company also announced it would be implementing a new filter that would automatically block threatening messages from reaching users.
How the abusive tweet slipped through Twitter’s ads approval process is unknown.
The Guardian has asked Twitter to explain how an abusive tweet could be promoted using its paid-for advertising service. A Twitter spokesperson said: “As soon as we were made aware, we removed the ad and suspended the account.”
