Twitter’s “task force” to tackle harmful content and spambots

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In response to charges made by a former executive that the company did not successfully handle either role, Twitter is attempting to make the platform “healthier” by combining teams that are in charge of reducing spam bots and poisonous content, according to a staff letter from August 23 seen by Reuters.

Ella Irwin, Vice President of Product for Health and Twitter Service, who joined the company in June, will be in charge of the HPS team. The growth of the HPS team is increasingly crucial given the multiple challenges the company is currently facing.

A well-known hacker and former security head named Peiter “Mudge” Zatko alleges that the company misled federal regulators regarding its defences against hackers and spam accounts.

“We need teams to concentrate on particular issues, as a single team and no longer operating in bubbles, wrote Irwin in an email to colleagues, adding that the team will “relentlessly emphasise.” its projects.

The social media business will combine its Twitter service team, which is in charge of analysing profiles that users report and removing spam accounts, with its health experience team, which focuses on minimising false information and harmful content. Health Products and Services would be the name of the new department, according to the email sent to staff members (HPS).

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is suing Twitter in an effort to get out of a $44 billion deal to buy the company, saying that Twitter has concealed information about how it evaluates spam accounts.

On August 23, Twitter defended its revelations about spam and bot accounts and asserted that Zatko’s charges were made in an effort to harm the company by drawing attention to it.

Twitter is working to improve its defences against the spread of fake material ahead of the US midterm elections in November.

The reorganisation of the spam and harmful content teams, according to a Twitter spokesman, is a reflection of the company’s continued commitment to establish priorities and focus its teams on achieving its goals.

Another reason in the choice was the recent departure of high-ranking executives who oversaw consumer products and income, like Kayvon Beykpour and Bruce Falck, during the turmoil with Musk.

Teams responsible for reducing hazardous or toxic content have recently been badly damaged by worker departures, according to two employees who spoke on the record under the condition of anonymity. Evidently, at least one current employee’s work does not appear to have been significantly impacted by the reorganisation.

According to a former employee who worked on security at Twitter, the causes of the company’s problems with spam accounts have historically been more complex than one team can tackle by itself. He expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the reorganization. He decided against using his name for fear of jeopardizing his prospects of getting a job.

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