HuffPost India
Friday, 13 October, will be remembered as the day women across the world took a day off from Twitter to protest sexual harassment, the company's apparent inability to contain abuse, and lax security that has, over the years, allowed a colony of vicious trolls to grow and thrive.
#WomenBoycottTwitter was trending nationally in India at 10 AM and women joined hands in solidarity to log off from Twitter — a self censorship of sorts — to force the social media giant to formulate better policies to control, regulate and punish accounts that issue death, rape and maiming threats to women, stalk them repeatedly and abuse and bully them on a regular basis with no serious consequences.
Women maintained that it will not silence their voices, but will stop Twitter from making money by exploiting them.
Recently, several women wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey when he announced the newest policy of allowing longer — 280 characters, instead of the traditional 140 characters — tweets, and asked him to focus on women's safety on the platform instead.
This is a demand that Twitter's faced for years. Malicious, and mostly anonymous, trolling has turned the platform — one of the most vibrant communities in the online space for sharing moments, news, views and images — into an infestation.
Indian women are hoping that their silent protest will help bring the focus back on the subject.
According to the Guardian, the Twitter boycott started it suspended Rose McGowan, one of the accusers of film producer Harvey Weinstein, who is facing several sexual assault allegations, for violating its terms and policies. It kicked off at midnight in New York.
This was Twitter's response.
We have been in touch with Ms. McGowan's team. We want to explain that her account was temporarily locked because one of her Tweets included a private phone number, which violates our Terms of Service. 1/3
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) October 12, 2017
Here are the women tweeting in solidarity:
Join this in solidarity and protest . We demand better anti harassment policies from @twitter & a more democratic space #WomenBoycottTwitter pic.twitter.com/7tloGlX5Ij
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) October 13, 2017
Please join @surekhapillai @PragyaTiwari starting now till 930 tomorrow. Love twitter but need better policies against harassment. pic.twitter.com/hlpS6OASmJ
— Aparna Jain (@Aparna) October 13, 2017
I'm logging off Twitter for 24 hours, starting 9:30am IST on Friday, to demand better anti-harassment policy. Join us!#WomenBoycottTwitter
— Rega Jha (@RegaJha) October 13, 2017
Because as much as I love @twitter, it needs to work out better harassment and suspension policies. Until tomorrow, #WomenBoycottTwitter. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/cQZzAiVB1V
— Deepanjana (@dpanjana) October 13, 2017
#WomenBoycottTwitter. Will be off twitter all day. I love this platform, but I will also be actively pissed off with how callous it's been. pic.twitter.com/L7I0OXB3vu
— Harnidh//Peglet (@PedestrianPoet) October 13, 2017
joining #WomenBoycottTwitter as commanded by aparna. see you tomorrow. do support this campaign instead of (or in addition to) making jokes. https://t.co/turRgHHyow
— Surekha Pillai (@surekhapillai) October 13, 2017
am off twitter for the next 24 hours. in solidarity. #WomenBoycottTwitter.
— Harini Calamur (@calamur) October 13, 2017
cc @shilpaanand @swarraj @richa_singh @qtfan @vivekisms https://t.co/tStgTpXndh
I'm participating in #WomenBoycottTwitter in the hopes that it will make Twitter change their harassment policies. Bye guys.
— Meenakshi Madhavan (@reddymadhavan) October 13, 2017
In support of better policies to prevent harassment of women
— Rana Safvi رعنا राना (@iamrana) October 13, 2017
I'm off from Twitter for the day#WomenBoycottTwitter pic.twitter.com/ridc0cullk
...and out of here for a day #WomenBoycottTwitter
— Veena Venugopal (@veenavenugopal) October 13, 2017
For women of all colours whose voices have been silenced. #WomenBoycottTwitter pic.twitter.com/tNqZ94jFq0
— Karima Ladhani (@karima1211) October 13, 2017
Okay see you guys tomorrow. #womenboycotttwitter
— BookOfGenesia (@genesiaalves) October 13, 2017
#WomenBoycottTwitter | see you tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/AMLhJn94Rl
— Karnika Kohli (@KarnikaKohli) October 13, 2017
I don't need 280 characters, I need a secure online space. @Twitter @TwitterIndia #WomenBoycottTwitter pic.twitter.com/ZM6kKrrqnY
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) October 13, 2017
I'm boycotting twitter tomorrow because women are consistently harassed by accounts who in turn face no consequences. #WomenBoycottTwitter
— Bindas Ladki (@bindasladki) October 13, 2017
And it wasn't just women who decided to go silent for a day. Men joined in as allies too.
See you later @Twitter.#WomenBoycottTwitter #Solidarity
— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) October 13, 2017
In support of all those ladies who are boycotting @twitter for 24 hours for a better anti-harassment policy. I'll be back tomorrow.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 13, 2017
Act now!