Is it true that owners of free accounts on Twitter were obliged to remove Ukrainian flags from the profile?

On February 26, 2023, reports appeared that in the near future Twitter users will no longer be able to place emoji in the form of a Ukrainian flag next to their name. It was argued that soon such a function will be available only to paid users, and the profiles of violators will be removed. We decided to check if this is so.

A message about the prohibition of emoji with the Ukrainian flag for free Twitter users has become popular in social networks - as in itself Twitter, and in Telegram, where, in particular, the TV presenter Ruslan Ostashko (345,000 subscribers at the time of writing this analysis) told about this). Most often, such posts were accompanied by a screenshot with a warning: on behalf of Twitter it was reported that the user should remove the Ukrainian flag from the profile, since now only Twitter Blue subscribers (that is, those who have a blue checkbox in the profile) have the right to support Ukraine. The text of the warning indicates: “The placement of this flag is considered a political statement directed against Russia. Since we are a neutral platform, we must avoid any political bias. ” At the end of the message - the requirement to remove emoji from the profile no later than February 28.

The first message about the restrictions on Twitter is just the same Record On Twitter, the screenshot of which was widely dispersed along social networks. Tweet appeared on the profile Walter Reportdedicated to the war in Ukraine. This account is conducted by a Ukrainian activist living in the USA doctor Walter (Vladimir) Lechwho also has website, channel on YouTube, account in Instagram And Podcast. Since February 2022, when Russia began a full -scale invasion, he publishes news and collects money to help Ukraine.

FACKING SITURE Snopes Immediately after the publication of the record, he turned to Walter Lech for comments, but did not receive an answer. Despite the fact that the deadline for the published warning has passed, users can still place emoji with a Ukrainian flag next to the name of the profile.

IN Twitter rules There is a list of restrictions for users: a ban on the publication of photographs of naked children (as well as adults without their consent), on interference with the election process, for public data. It is also forbidden to promote suicide and insult people on a racial, national or religious basis. There is nothing about political statements there.

There are also no political preferences for users with a blue checkmark. IN Rules Twitter Blue It is described in detail what exactly can be obtained for $ 8 per month (or $ 84 per year): the ability to edit tweets within half an hour after the publication, choose an application from an extended set of topics, publish longer records, etc.

Finally, no one except the author of Walter Report has never encountered a similar warning. In any case, this is neither in the comments on the record or in other users' messages. On the same day, February 26, the lack of a threat Recognized And the author of the viral tweet: “Twitter does not prohibit the Ukrainian flag ... for now. However, the fact that Musk could do this is quite believable. The actions and tweets of the mask speak louder than fake memes and have real consequences for Ukraine. ”

From the text of the new Walter Report record, it is not entirely clear whether the author admits that he deliberately created a fake. From where he got the screenshot, he never told, but it becomes obvious from the answer that this is another round of criticism from Ukrainians to the owner of the social network Ilona Mask, constantly acting with ambiguous statements about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In particular, in October 2022 Musk Offered The draft of a peace treaty, which involves the transfer of Crimea of ​​Russia and the refusal of Ukraine from joining NATO. In February 2023, the company SPACEX Mask, which at the very beginning of the war, transferred to Ukraine Starlink terminals, She began to limit For the Armed Forces of Ukraine, satellite communications for military purposes. Finally, adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak directly accused The mask in the indulgence of Russian propaganda due to the fact that Twitter, according to Podolyak, deliberately reduces the popularity of the accounts of the Ukrainian authorities.

Thus, no confirmation of the prohibition of Emoji in the form of a Ukrainian flag for ordinary Twitter users has still appeared. The changes were not made to the Twitter rules, there are no mass certificates from users. The only confirmation is the screenshot in the blog of the Ukrainian activist, who also admitted that Twitter has not yet introduced such restrictions.

Photo on the cover: social networks

Fake

What do our verdicts mean?

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