Twitter's Online Policy Primer

1. Terms of Service(TOS)
‘Online Policy Primer’
NET303 Internet Politics and Power
Abdullah Al-Habsi – 17492186
Curtin University, Semester2- 2015
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2. Areas covered in the presentation will be:
 Facts and figures
 Twitter’s Terms of Service
 Getting an account
 Privacy
 Ownership
 Copyright
 The eligibility of use
 Free- Speech
 Conclusion
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3. Facts and figures
Twitter is an online social networking service that offers a social networking
platform and a medium for information stream, where users post 140-character
text updates and subscribe to other users to obtain updates (Watson, 2015).
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Twitter is the world’s second most popular social networking services (EbizRank,
2015).
Twitter founded in 2006 (Jernigana & Rushmanb, 2014).

4. 500 million
tweets per
day
316 million
users per
month
100 million
logins per
day
4
35
supported
languages
( Twitter, 2015)
Facts and figures, Cont.

5. It so common, in this web-based era, that
various clients overlook services’ terms of use
and inconsiderately click “I Agree" without
seeing what they agree to (Sauro, 2011).
Twitter’s Terms of Service
Nearly 70 % of users do not read or intensely disagree that they read the
online services’ terms and conditions (Horvath & Agrawal, 2015).
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“Kick agree” (Thunder Bird, 2014)

6. So, what lies behind twitter’s Terms of Service (TOS)?
The Twitter Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Twitters Rules are around 7,000
words in total. This would take even an experienced reader long time to read it
completely.
You consent to the TOS essentially by utilising Twitter, whether you read them or not.
Thus, it is highly recommended to read them carefully before using twitter.
Terms govern user’s access to and use of Twitter’s services (Twitter, TOS, Para.1,
2015)
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Twitter’s Terms of Service, Cont.

7. “Online identity” ( Sophieomcgregor, 2013)
Do I need to provide my real name while registering my account?
You can use either your real name or a nick name. Some Twitter
services, such as searching and viewing public user profiles, do not
require registration (Twitter, TPP, Para.4, 2015).
Terms of Services – Getting an account
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8. User keeps the rights to own content yet at the same time grant Twitter “an
universal, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to utilise, copy, reproduce, process,
adjust, change, distribute, convey, display and dispense such content in any and
all media or distribution techniques (Twitter, TOS, Para.6, 2015).
Twitter may sell, exchange or generally share some or all of it's assets. However, Twitter
does not disclose personally identifying information to third parties except in accordance
with its privicy policy (Giustini & Wright, 2009).
Terms of Services –Privacy
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User’s content is public by default, except
payment information and shipping address
(Twitter, TPP, Para.13, 2015).
“InternationalTalk”(Goh,2013)

9. Regardless of which nation you reside in or supply information from, you approve Twitter to
utilise your data in the United States, Ireland, and some other countries where Twitter works
(Twitter, TOS, Para.6, 2015).
What users tweet on the Twitter services may be seen all around the world immediately.
Users are what they tweet.
If a user allows tweets to be public, no login is needed to see the content. At the point when
tweets are security ensured, a user must be a follower to be able to see or interact with the
tweets (Jernigana & Rushmanb, 2014).
Twitter will either erase the log data or eliminate any common record identifiers, for
example, your username might be eliminated after a maximum of 18 months (Twitter, TPP,
Para.11, 2015).
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Terms of Services –Privacy, Cont.

10. Who owns content?
Twitter respects the ownership of the content that users share
and each user is responsible for the content he or she provides.
All material, whether openly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole
obligation of the individual who started such material.
You own your content, yet it can be spread wherever on numerous services,
and applications, you must be awake of this if you use this platform to spread
your content.
Terms of Services –Ownership
10(Twitter, TOS, Para.8, 2015)

11. Copyright infringement will be followed upon yet needs clear and comprehensive
notification of assumed copyright infringement . There are 6 items that must be
presented the Twitter Copyright Agent for any claim. See section 9 of TOS for more details
Twitter maintains whatever authority is needed to remove content claimed to be
infringing without former notification, based on company’ decision, and without
obligation to clients. In proper conditions, Twitter will likewise end a client's
record if the client is resolved to be a repeat infringer. Under the U.S. Digital
Millennium Copyright Act (Twitter, TOS, Para.9, 2015).
Terms of Services –Copyright
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12. Twitter’s services are not focused to persons under 13 years old.
If you get the chance to be aware that your child has given us personal
information without your consent, you can get to contact Twitter requesting
for removing such information and ending the child’s account (Twitter, TPP,
Para.24, 2015).
Twitter’s privacy policy states that the site does not collect information from
users under 13 years of age and deactivates the profile if users are
discovered to be under age 13 (Jernigana & Rushmanb, 2014).
.
Terms of Services – The eligibility of use
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13. Twitter does not actively monitor and will not censor user content, except in limited
circumstances where content or account may be terminated or removed . Twitter does not
allow to use its services for:
Terms of Services –Free speech
Targeted Abuse or harassment
Username Squatting / Selling usernames
Misuse of Twitter Badges (Ex. logo)
Misuse others’ name and trademark
Violence and Threats /Breaking copyright / Unlawful Use.
Misuse others’ private and confidential information
Invitation spam/ Malware/ Phishing
“Tweetthis”(Stevenson,2015)
Spreading graphic content (pornographic / excessively violent media)
(Twitter, TOS, Para.11, 2015). 13

14. It has been said that knowledge is power. So, stay informed and stay in control
Conclusion
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Twitter has little to panic and great to achieve
• Being on Twitter is like living your life in a glass
house. Each tweet you send it, distribute publically.
Terms of service are regularly too long to read, yet it's essential to understand
what's in them. Your rights online rely on them. Occasionally, terms may change

15. • EbizRank. (2015). Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-
websites
• Giustini, D. & Wright, M. (2009), Twitter: an introduction to microblogging for health librarians. JCHLA / JABSC, 30, 11-17.
• Goh, L.(2013). Twitter [Image]. Retrieved from http://tommytoy.typepad.com/tommy-toy-pbt-consultin/2012/02/twitter-global-expansion-
increases-sales-censorship-challenges.html
• Horvath, A. & Agrawal, R. (2015). Trust in Cloud Computing. Proceedings of the IEEE SoutheastCon, April 9 - 12, 2015 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
• Jernigana, D. & Rushmanb, A. ( 2014). Measuring youth exposure to alcohol marketing on social networking sites: Challenges and prospects.
Journal of Public Health Policy Vol. 35, 1, 91–104 www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/
• Rudui, D..(2015). 3d forbidden sign [Image]. Retrieved from http://www. http://www.123rf.com/photo_23208292_3d-forbidden-sign-on-the-
computer-keyb
• Sauro, J. (January 11, 2011). Do users read license agreements? [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.measuringu.com/blog/eula.php
• Sophieomcgregor. (2013). Digital identity [Image]. Retrieved from https://sophieomcgregor.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/online-identity-vs-real-
identity/
• Stevenson, B.. (2015). Tweet this [Image]. Retrieved from http://www. http://bradleystevenson.com/?p=2778
• Thunder Bird.(2014). Kick agree [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.highrisesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/I-agree.jpg
• Twitter .(2015), Twitter privacy policy. Retrieved from: https://twitter.com/privacy?lang=en
• Twitter .(2015), Twitter terms of services. Retrieved from: https://twitter.com/tos?lang=en
• Twitter .(2015), Twitter usage. Retrieved from: https://about.twitter.com/company
• Watson, B. (2015). Is Twitter an Alternative Medium? Comparing Gulf Coast Twitter and Newspaper Coverage of the 2010 BP Oil Spill.
Communication Research,1-25. DOI: 10.1177/0093650214565896
References
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16. Copyright
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