Stop Twitter Spam

There haven’t been too many official updates from Twitter about the spam issue. We know that they’re “working on it” but the updates have been few and far between. Tonight we got one of those updates from Twitter product manager goldtoe. The update, which appeared on Get Satisfaction, addresses “follower spam”, an issue that we’ve beaten to death on this blog, track spam, and abuse, which is an issue that has come out of nowhere (from what I can tell) and has the potential to really damage the Twitter community if it’s not handled properly.

Below is the update provided by Twitter. I have highlighted the portions that address spam in bold.

Twitter is a recipient-driven communication utility; you choose what appears in your timeline. To this end, we offer tools designed to give you more control over your experience using Twitter. For example, with the block tool, you have the option of preventing your content from being delivered to other people’s timelines.

There are areas where we can improve our tools. For example, the track feature does not currently obey the block list, but it should. And we’re actively working to prevent abuse by spammers of the “new follower” email notices.

Our goal is to provide tools that allow people to enjoy the Twitter service in the way that makes sense to them. To achieve this goal, we need to curtail abuses that impair our ability to provide this service.

Content and Abuse

As a communication utility, Twitter does not get involved in disputes between users over issues of content except in very specific situations. Twitter is a provider of information, not a mediator. Specific physical threats, certain legal obligations, privacy breaches of specific types of information (e.g. SSN, credit cards), and misleading impersonation are some cases where we may become involved and potentially terminate an account.

Overall, we hold ourselves responsible for building tools that allow our users to control their own experience. Twitter is not a judge for resolving disputes over most content issues—our focus is on service.

Technical Abuse and SPAM

While our policy regarding content is mostly hands-off, we are strictly intolerant toward those who would subvert our intention to provide a utility for recipient-driven communication. Twitter will terminate accounts for a variety of technical abuse violations.

That includes the above-mentioned follower spam problem as well as other means that degrade our service. For example, our service is degraded through the cross-posting of updates from multiple accounts as a way to get around the block and unfollow tools.

Note: We have been paying close attention to these issues and as a result we are in the process of reviewing our Terms of Service. Our goal is to align our Terms of Service with the concerns of our users with an eye towards what we intend to enforce. We are also working to make this process more transparent.