Twitter updates privacy policy to ban revenge porn

TORONTO – Twitter has updated its privacy policy with new language that forbids users from posting so-called revenge porn. The new rules read, “You may not post intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject’s consent.”

Previously, Twitter’s rules only prohibited users from publishing people’s private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, addresses or social security numbers.

From now on, any user who violates the rule will have their account suspended.

The changes come as Twitter and other social networks try to crack down on the amount of harassment happening on social networks. Twitter has been struggling with containing harassment on its platform for years.

READ MORE: ‘The Internet has no age limits’ – online harassment widespread says Pew study

Over the last few months an online campaign dubbed “GamerGate” led to the harassment of women in the video game industry for criticizing the lack of diversity and how women are portrayed in gaming.

In 2013, feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez was faced with days of abuse — including threats to rape and kill her – after her campaign to get a woman’s picture on a U.K. bank note succeeded. Two of her online abusers were sentenced to jail time for their tweets in 2014.

In December, the social media service rolled out a series of tools aimed at making it easier for victims and witnesses of online harassment to report it. The company also promised to speed up the time it takes for employees to investigate reported tweets and accounts.

Twitter’s biggest problem is that bullies can set up new accounts and continue to harass their victims.

Last month, Britain made revenge porn a crime. The new law means that anyone who shares private and sexual images of another person without that person’s permission, and with the intent of causing distress, may face up to two years in prison.