Elon Musk shares new Twitter safety & privacy rules: Here's everything you need to know

Elon Musk has shared new Twitter rules regarding the privacy, safety and authenticity of the users as the platform continues to evolve. The new rules focus on reducing hateful content and harassment while ensuring authenticity among users. “Our rules are to ensure all people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely," the official statement by Twitter read. 

Twitter's new rules on safety

The safety rules encompass the subjects of hateful content, promoting child sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and suicide or self-harm. Twitter also said that it will remove "accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks", and not permit media depicting sexual violence and/or assault.

Twitter has also warned against posting media that is excessively gory or sharing violent or adult content within a live video or in profile or header images. "You may not use our service for any unlawful purpose or in furtherance of illegal activities. This includes selling, buying, or facilitating transactions in illegal goods or services, as well as certain types of regulated goods or services," the statement read. 

Rules on privacy

To maintain the privacy of users, Twitter is prohibiting the sharing of other people's private information (such as phone numbers and addresses) without their express authorisation and permission and incentivising others to do so. "You may not post or share intimate photos or videos of someone that were produced or distributed without their consent," the company said. It explained that sharing explicit images or videos that were taken, appear to have been taken or that were shared without the consent of the people involved. 

It, however, added that pornography and other adult content is allowed on Twitter as long as they do not appear on headers and are marked as sensitive for those willing to avoid such media.

Rules on authenticity

Twitter says that it will not allow its services "to artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behaviour that manipulates or disrupts people’s experience" and disrupt elections or other civic processes by misleading the public about when, where, or how to participate. The company has also warned against impersonating individuals, groups, or organisations to mislead, confuse, or deceive others by using a misleading fake account on the site. 

Twitter also said that it prohibits the deceptive sharing of synthetic or manipulated media and it may label tweets containing synthetic media as such to reflect its authenticity. "You may not violate others’ intellectual property rights, including copyright and trademark," per the copyright and trademark policy. 

As for advertising, the company said, "You may not submit, post, or display any video content on or through our services that includes third-party advertising, such as pre-roll video ads or sponsorship graphics, without our prior consent."