Twitter may block account for abusive chats during live broadcasts

Twitter is getting tough on those who send abusive comments on its livestreaming platform Periscope as the microblogging site said it would suspend the accounts of such habitual offenders from August 10.

Representational Picture (AFP)

San Francisco: Twitter is getting tough on those who send abusive comments on its livestreaming platform Periscope as the microblogging site said it would suspend the accounts of such habitual offenders from August 10.   The company will enforce its Periscope Community Guidelines more aggressively by reviewing and suspending accounts of repeat offenders, TechCrunch reported on Saturday. "As part of our ongoing effort to build a safer service, we are launching more aggressive enforcement of our guidelines related to chats sent during live broadcasts," according to a Periscope blog post. The Periscope Community Guidelines apply to all broadcasts on both Periscope and Twitter, the post added. Currently, Periscope's comment moderation policy involves group moderation to determine if someone can continue chatting. So when someone reports an abusive comment, Periscope randomly selects a few other viewers to review the comment to determine if it is spam, abuse or appears alright. "Starting on August 10, we will also review and suspend accounts for repeatedly sending chats that violate our guidelines. If you are in a broadcast and see a chat that may violate our guidelines, please report it," the Periscope blog post said. "We're committed to making sure everyone feels safe, whether you're broadcasting or just tuning in. Look out for more changes across policies, product, and enforcement as we continue to make both Periscope and Twitter safer," it added.