Don’t be a bully: You may encounter people on Twitter who you don't like or who say things that you disagree with or find offensive. Please remain courteous, even if the other people are not. Retaliation can reinforce bad behavior and only encourages bullies. Don't forward or reTweet bullying or mean messages. Remember that the things you say can be very hurtful to other people, even if you think it’s a joke. Don't turn into a bully yourself.
Don't Share Personal Information: Please be cautious when giving out your information online, especially your private address, location, credit card number, or telephone number. Remember, what you Tweet is public and can be seen by anyone. If you want your Tweets to only be available to approved followers you can set your Tweets to protected. Please keep in mind that any Tweets posted before you protected your Tweets were displayed publicly and may be available in search or through third party sites.
People are not always who they claim to be on their Twitter profile and you should be wary of any communication that asks for your private contact information, personal information, or passwords.
Block & Ignore: If you are receiving unwanted communications from a bully, we generally recommend that you block the user and end any communication. Ending communication with bullies shows them that you are not willing to engage with them, and often they lose interest. It also demonstrates to others that you are not involved in similar behavior and that you are acting against bullying.
Blocking prevents the user from following you or replying to you, and can minimize any incentives to persist in their conduct. This help page on blocking shows you how to block other users. Twitter believes that bullying is a serious issue and we have provided all users with the ability to block other users.
Contact local Law Enforcement or Trusted Individuals: We will investigate reports of violent threats but please remember we are not the police and we cannot actively work with the police to report incidents that you report to us. If something has gone beyond the point of a personal conflict and has turned into actual violent threats that you feel are credible, call the police.
It’s also a good idea to contact a trusted individual such as a friend, family member or teacher. If you’re dealing with a potential legal issue, please contact a lawyer. Twitter cannot provide legal advice.
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More Bullying Resources
There are lots of great online resources with more information on bullying:
Everyone has different levels of sensitivity towards content. What may be shocking to one may be fine or acceptable to another. Twitter does not pre-screen content and we do not remove potentially offensive content.
If there is something that you don’t agree with, or find insulting, it’s best to not look at it at all. Please see above for tools you have to block offensive users from your Twitter timeline.
Twitter provides a communication service. As a policy, we do not mediate content or intervene in disputes between users. Users are allowed to post content, including potentially inflammatory content, provided that they do not violate the Twitter Terms of Service and Rules.
Twitter provides you the tools to respond to others, but if the conversation ends, it’s best to remove yourself from the discussion to prevent escalating the issue.
If someone has posted your private, personally identifiable information on Twitter, please submit a Support ticket.
If something has gone beyond the point of a personal conflict and has turned into actual violent threats that you feel are credible, call the police. You can report violent threats by submitting a Support ticket.
We’ll need to be in contact with the actual person or their authorized representative in order to investigate claims of violent threats, a breach of privacy, or an impersonation issue. While you may still want to report the content, please note we won’t be able to respond to third party requests.
IP blocking is generally ineffective at stopping unwanted behavior, and may falsely prevent legitimate users from accessing our service.
IP addresses are commonly shared by numerous different users in a variety of locations, therefore blocking a single IP may prevent a large number of unrelated users from logging into Twitter. In addition, IP addresses are easy to change and any blocks can be easily circumvented by logging in from a different location, a third-party service, or one of many free websites or applications.
Per our Privacy Policy, Twitter does not release user information except as required by valid legal process. We cannot provide any legal advice, but if you are working with the police or your lawyer, they will be able to help you with the appropriate correct legal process for obtaining such information.
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