Twitter has rolled out vaccine misinformation warning labels. In addition, it has implemented a strike-based system for violations. This means that relating COVID-19 related information on Twitter has guidelines. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweet had such warning labels effected recently. Read on to consider the implications as Twitter bans US Rep Greene’s account – lessons for you.
Before the Ban
This is not the first time a political figure is banned from Twitter’s services. Former President Donald Trump was banned after his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.
Initially, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene – the Georgia Republican – posted a tweet claiming that vaccines do not reduce the spread of COVID-19. Further, the tweet called for the FDA to not approve vaccines. Certainly, the tweet contradicted the scientific community. Thereafter, Twitter paired her tweet with a misinformation warning that pointed users to information from the CDC. Thereafter, Twitter temporarily suspended her account.
However, it did not end there. On Jan 2, Twitter said it has permanently banned Republican U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account. The reason given was for tweets that were in repeated violation of Twitter’s misinformation policy on COVID-19.
Lessons from the ban
You could lose access to a valuable audience
Assuredly, as a business, you would not want to lose access to the social media followership you may have built for long. For instance, the congresswoman’s Twitter account has 465,000 followers on her banned personal account. Imagine losing access to such an audience.
Previous records of posts count
Interestingly, Greene had earlier apologized (last June) for her remarks on the pandemic. Then, she made comparisons between COVID-19 mask requirements and vaccinations and the Holocaust where 6 million Jews were killed. Furthermore, Twitter temporarily locked her account last January. This occurred after a sparring session with a state election official on voter fraud allegations.
Clearly, strikes from social media platforms do not come out of the blue. The previous record of violations is considered. Therefore, you would want to be wary of creating a record of violations.
Sensitive times… better sense of judgment
Currently, the Delta variant and the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus are on the rise. However, online misinformation can play a major role in reducing vaccination rates. As such, the responsibility is on social media platforms to reduce such online misinformation.
Therefore, in situations such as these, you would have to exercise a greater sense of judgment in your posts. Words have power and can have unintended consequences.
To Wrap It Up
Surely, you have a reason to have a Twitter account or a social media page. You would not want to lose the opportunities and benefits such platforms offer for your business. So, as Twitter bans US Rep Greene’s account – lessons for you should be properly considered. It can help you avoid such a similar fate.
