Twitter is taking steps to “protect the health of the public conversation” surrounding the breaching of Capitol Hill by protesters who rejected the results of the presidential election, the social media giant announced Wednesday.
Chaos descended on Capitol Hill following scheduled protests by supporters of President Trump on the day Congress was scheduled to count the votes from the Electoral College and certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. Rioters breached the Capitol Hill complex, smashing windows, breaking into offices, and looting rooms, forcing an evacuation of Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers as staff and reporters were told to shelter in place.
“In regard to the ongoing situation in Washington, D.C., we are working proactively to protect the health of the public conversation occurring on the service and will take action on any content that violates the Twitter Rules,” Twitter Safety tweeted.
In regard to the ongoing situation in Washington, D.C., we are working proactively to protect the health of the public conversation occurring on the service and will take action on any content that violates the Twitter Rules.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 6, 2021
“Threats of and calls to violence are against the Twitter Rules, and we are enforcing our policies accordingly,” Twitter added. “In addition, we have been significantly restricting engagement with Tweets labeled under our Civic Integrity Policy due to the risk of violence. This means these labeled Tweets will not be able to be replied to, Retweeted, or liked.”
Twitter added that it was “also exploring other escalated enforcement actions and will keep the public updated with any significant developments.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Twitter for further comment.
