Twitter has announced new rules on its microblogging service in an effort to try and stop the rampant trolling and harassment on the platform.

The new rules bans revenge porn and doxxing outright, and Twitter has said it committed to offering more support to users experiencing abuse.

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Revenge porn has been banned on most networks now following Facebook's lead with other social websites like Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram all banning it.

Doxxing has become popular with the rise of the 'GamerGate' debate with both sides releasing private information on well known figures from the other side. The private information has been used by trolls to call home phones and take photos outside the targeted user's house, making the threats much more realistic.

Even though there have been no actual attacks on game developers or public figures, doxxing is seen as a malicious tactic to bring personal harm to someone that doesn't want to have private information in the public domain.

Twitter has long fought for the values of privacy, making it surprising it's just now banning doxxing. Hopefully, it will use the new powers to outright ban a lot of accounts regularly posting private information on public figures.

The issue with the new rules is internet users can make unlimited numbers of Twitter accounts, meaning once one is blocked another can crop up in a few days. Twitter doesn't ban IPs due to a longstanding agreement with users on pseudoanonymity, which works for political distinants, leakers, but also trolls.

Twitter can release as many new rules as it wants but the real effort is in actually making these rules count in the long run. It needs to show that abuse won't be tolerated on the platform.

Tagsrevenge porn, doxxing, harrassment