Twitter Shuts 125,000 Accounts for Promoting Terrorist Act

Twitter has suspended more than 125,000 accounts since mid-2015 “for threatening or promoting terrorist acts”.

In a blog, Twitter said the accounts “primarily related to ISIS”.

“We condemn the use of Twitter to promote terrorism,” the statement said, adding that it had increased its report reviewing teams to react faster.

Twitter has more than 500 million users around the world.

“We have already seen results, including an increase in account suspensions and this type of activity shifting off of Twitter,” the company said.

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Twitter added that it was co-operating with law enforcement bodies “when appropriate” as well as other organizations.

Governments around the world have been urging social media companies to take more robust measure to tackle online activity aimed at promoting violence.

In December 2015, US politicians put forward a bill that would force such companies – including Twitter and Facebook – to report any apparent terrorist activity they find.

EU officials have also been calling for talks with major social media companies to discuss the issue.

In March, Facebook revamped its “community standards” to include a separate section on “dangerous organizations”.

Facebook said it would ban groups promoting “terrorist activity, organized criminal activity or promoting hate.”