This is a rant, a long, annoying rant about an inherent issue with Twitter.
My account was recently permanently banned for violating Twitter's hateful conduct terms. Now these terms, on their surface, make perfect sense. They allow Twitter to suspend or ban people who use their platform to attack people based on their gender, sexual orientation, creed, ethnicity, job, or other protected status.
The problem is Twitter's censors don't seem to grasp nuanced language, so something as simple as calling Tomi Lahren a "Blond Bimbo" is perceived as violating these standards. Even though bimbo simply references a contemptible person, someone who is childish, or crass. It is gender neutral, it doesn't attack a person based on any of the listed protected status.
The worst part of this whole ordeal, isn't the loss of my account, or my followers, or twitter connections; no the worst part is that I'm suspended for calling Tomi Lahren a contemptible person, but this arrogant, ignorant, self-absorbed, racist, bigoted, right-wing mouthpiece is still allowed to post on Twitter.
The problem here is Twitter gives unfair and undue deference to celebrities and public figures like Tomi over the general user. So while they can post vile and vitriolic bullshit, attacking immigrants and asylum seekers, women's rights activists, Black Lives Matter activists, the LGBTQ, etc. Those of us who aren't in the public eye are scrutinized with a much sharper sword. Even when we say something that isn't a violation of their terms of service, we can be suspended and banned without any recourse.
Despite repeated attempts at appeals to this decision, even starting a Change.org petition found here, a complaint to the FCC, and even emails to the CEO Jack Dorsey (jack@twitter.com), and VP of User Services Donald Hicks (dhicks@twitter.com) my account still remains shuttered.
So, please sign my petition, and email Jack Dorsey and Donald Hicks if you find this lopsided treatment to be unfair.
KJ Martin
