More rights for more people
and Digital
Security
Media
Literacy
Twitter Best
Practices
Twitter Best
Practices
and Digital
Security
Media Literacy
and Digital
Security
Media Literacy
Twitter Best
Practices
CREDITS
Luis Almagro
Secretary General
Organization of American States (OAS)
Francisco Guerrero
Secretary for Strengthening Democracy
Organization of American States (OAS)
Farah Diva Urrutia
Secretary of Multidimensional Security
Organization of American States (OAS)
OAS Technical Team
Alison August Treppel
Gerardo de Icaza
Gonzalo Espariz
Belisario Contreras
Miguel Angel Cañada
Yeruti Méndez
Rolando Ramírez
Kerry-Ann Barrett
David Moreno
Mariana Cardona
Diego Subero
Jaime Fuentes
Geraldine Vivanco
Diego Paez
Jack Dorsey
CEO
Twitter
Colin Crowell
Global VP for Public Policy and
Philanthropy
Twitter
Twitter Technical Team
Andrea Pereira Palacios
Hugo Rodriguez Nicolat
@TwitterSafety
More rights
for more people
INDEX
05
Introduction
06 Part 1: Digital Literacy
06 What is Digital Literacy?
07 How Do We Achieve Digital Literacy?
08 Part 2: Securing your device while on social networks
09 Check Your Privacy Settings
10 Manage Your Profile Online; Personal Information Included
11 Password Do’s and Don’ts
12 Use of Password Managers
12 Blocking and Filtering
12 Update Your Device Software
12 Use of Antivirus
13 Use of VPNs
14 Part 3: Distribution and consumption of information on Twitter
15 Verification of Information on Twitter
16
Twitter Tools for Information Consumption
16 TweetDeck
17 Search Results
18 Advanced Search
20 Notifications
21 Bookmarks
21 Timeline of Top Tweets vs. Latest Tweets
21 Lists
22
Twitter Best Practices For Information Consumption
25 Best Practices for Authorities and Organizations When Sharing Information
26 Part 4: Security on Twitter
26 Twitter Rules
28 Enforcement of our Rules
30 Reporting Violations to the Rules
31 Control Your Experience on Twitter
31 Muting
32 Blocking
32 Notifications Filter
Twitter Best
Practices
and Digital
Security
Media Literacy
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MEDIA LITERACY AND DIGITAL SECURITY
Twitter Best Practices
In the digital and social media era, availability of information is both immediate and abundant. These
two features help us keep up to date, at once, with what is happening in the world, but in order to
receive and process all the information currently within our reach, we need to develop certain skills,
and understand the media on which it circulates.
To help you comprehend certain tools, accessible to you, to be able to develop these skills and attain
digital literacy, Twitter and the Organization of American States (OAS) have prepared this guide on
Digital Literacy and Security. We present the best practices on account security, and on monitoring,
consumption and distribution of information, as well as tips to keep you safe on Twitter.
We would like you to be part of the conversation and to be able to do it safely and responsibly. We
hope this guide offers you a starting point but you must bear in mind that the technology and tools
available for use are constantly developing. Therefore, always be aware of product and policy updates
that may affect your performance and engagements in digital media and social networks.
INTRODUCTION
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PART 1:
Digital Literacy
What is Digital Literacy?
According to Common Sense Media, digital literacy is the ability to effectively nd, identify, evaluate
and use information in digital media.
1
Basically, it is the same traditional denition of literacy, but
adapted to the digital age and non-traditional information sources.
The 2016 UNESCO yearbook on “Media and Information Literacy for the Sustainable Development
Goals,” refers to the “Five Laws of Media and Information Literacy”:
1. Information, communication, libraries, media,
technology, the Internet and other sources
of information providers fall into the same
category. Neither is more relevant than the other
nor should be treated as such.
2. Every citizen is a creator of information or
knowledge and has a message. They must be
empowered to access new information and
express themselves.
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3. Information, knowledge and messages are not
always value neutral, or independent of biases.
Any conceptualization, use and application of
digital literacy must make this truth transparent
and understandable to all citizens.
4. Every citizen wishes to know and understand
new information, knowledge and messages,
as well as to communicate, and his/her rights
should never be compromised.
5. Digital literacy is a lived and dynamic
experience and process. It is complete when it
includes knowledge, skills and attitudes, when
it covers access, evaluation, use, production
and communication of information, media and
technology content.
How do we achieve digital literacy?
In the UNESCO yearbook, 10 skills must be developed to achieve digital
literacy, or as the document denes it: media and information literacy
(MIL).
2
These skills are:
• Engaging with information regarding media and technology.
• Being able to apply technical information communication skills to
process information and produce media content.
• Using the information, ethically and responsibly, and communicating
the acquired understanding or knowledge to an audience or readers in
appropriate form and media.
• Extracting and organizing information and content.
• Critically evaluating the information and content presented in the media
and other sources of information, including online media, in terms of
authority, credibility, purpose and possible risks.
• Locating and accessing relevant information and content.
• Synthesizing ideas extracted from content.
• Understanding the conditions under which those ideas or functions can
be fullled.
• Understanding the role and functions of the media including online
media in society, and its development.
• Recognizing and articulating the need for information and media.
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PART 2:
Securing Your Device While on
Social Networks
The Internet is a tool that has transformed and dened communication in the 21st century. Through
its multiple interfaces, the Internet has been successful for both individuals and organizations to
connect, communicate and exchange information. Technology platforms and social media networks
have accelerated the speed through which users can access and retrieve information, simplifying
the process in which news is disseminated, updated, and even communicated. Nowadays, it is
practically instantaneous to become aware of a news event without being necessarily communicated
to traditional means such as newspapers or radio. The ease through which people are now able to
communicate has brought a sense of democratization to freedom of speech. Transforming freedom of
expression by creating new capabilities to create and edit content has generated new possibilities for
alternative journalism; new capacities for organization and mobilization (which largely support other
rights, such as freedom of association); and new possibilities to innovate and generate economic
development (supporting social and economic rights).
3
Yet, this facility in the exchange and creation of information also presents challenges to both
organizations and individuals that are users of such networks, both as source and as end-user.
These challenges vary in scale, but all of them are equally signicant. Some of the more prominent
ones include the challenge of supercial quality of information, susceptibility to misinformation, and
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exposure to cyberattacks. Therefore, the need to mitigate and maintain the integrity of this information
has become a growing area of work for many public and private organizations.
This section provides an array of techniques and best practices to mitigate and counter the above-
mentioned challenges. However, it is important to keep in mind, when reading these recommendations,
the position you represent or are associated with. Some of the recommendations may not be applicable
to a public gure such as politicians, activists or other actors whose social media best practices are
subject to greater scrutiny. In this sense, the exercise of the rights of expression, assembly and protest
should, and must be, respected in the digital realm while ensuring safer practices of the internet.
Check Your Privacy Settings
Managing the privacy settings of social networks is one of the simplest forms a user can employ to
control the security and privacy of the devices and data. Prior to engaging in any social network, it
is crucial to thoroughly read the privacy agreements and check the settings when signing up.
Not only by reading the privacy agreements will the user become aware of what data is or is not
shared, but it also provides the option to select or deselect privacy, security or administrative
options to secure the account and device.
4
These are some general recommendations to keep in
mind to better manage the privacy settings of a social media account:
• Select who has viewing access to the past,
present and future social media activity (e.g.
Tweets, likes, etc.).
• Review what content can be added (i.e. tagged)
into an account when this is uploaded or posted
by other people.
• Review, understand and dene the audience
with whom content can be shared.
• Review, understand and determine the forms
through which other users can nd and connect
with your account.
• Review, understand and determine the amount
of personal information when blogging or posting
information online.
• Periodically monitor the security and login
information of the accounts and revise the
likelihood of any suspicious activity.
• Select a trustworthy backup, which could
detect or be alerted of any suspicious activity.
• Monitor if and what apps are able to access
any of your social media data and/or information,
especially in the background.
• Be mindful of the implications of including
location when posting content on line.
• Set up a two-factor authentication to log-in.
• Review the platform privacy policy to know
what data the services collect, with whom it is
shared, and select your preferences on both
these issues.
MEDIA LITERACY AND DIGITAL SECURITY
Twitter Best Practices
Manage Your Prole Online;
Personal Information Included
When creating into a social media account, by
default, all information included under a prole
becomes public, meaning that any content which
has been included into an account could be accessed
by anyone. However, the needs and preferences for
privacy vary from person to person. While some users
prefer having greater exposure and being able to promote
their social media content, others prefer including very
little or no information. For better protection of the user and
the user’s information, it is important to assess the extent to
which the person is willing to include personal information in their
prole. Nevertheless, consider the following when:
• Selecting a username: The username is the “digital name” which a
person assigns to him/herself or the person’s organization in order
to be identied online. If there is a preference for not being easily
identied in any platform but being able to continue using these
networks, a person is able to assign and use a pseudonym which
can be related or unrelated to such person. Additionally, a person
is able to change his/her username at any point just by going
into the conguration of that person’s account(s). A username
does not have to be consistent in all social media networks;
these can vary depending on the person’s preference in each.
• Including a picture into the account: A user has the option
to personalize an account by including a prole picture. When
a user prefers not to be identied, it is suggested to choose
a picture in which he/she is not able to be recognized, and
change whenever necessary. Take into account that when
using the same picture across all social media networks, a
simple image search can detect other accounts.
• Including a location: When the location services are activated
in a social media platform, it allows users to trace the origin of any
online media activity. It is important to keep in mind that once this
function is activated, it will remain on until user chooses to disable
it in the privacy settings. Despite allowing this feature to be active
in the past, platforms have the functionality of disabling the location
of any content that has been published in the accounts. Nevertheless,
even if the user activates or deactivates the sharing of location function,
potentially, a user’s location can be revealed by the content shared or the
images chosen to be shared. [2]
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MEDIA LITERACY AND DIGITAL SECURITY
Password Do’s and Don’ts
The password is the most essential piece of information required to
access all electronic information, whether personal or non-personal.
Having a strong password often contributes to securing access to social
media accounts. Consider the following when creating or maintaining
your password secure.
5
Do’s Don’ts
• Passwords are best when they
incorporate a combination of words,
numbers, symbols and both upper- and
lower-case letters.
• Use words or phrases that are not
associated with the owner of the account.
• Use a private browser when accessing
sites on a public device that require you
to enter your login credentials (name and
password).
• Refrain from using a single or similar
password for all accounts.
• Avoid using the same name of your
network as a password.
• Do not reuse or recycle passwords.
• Abstain from adding personal information
when creating a password (e.g. date of
birth, unique country registry code or
relatives’ names).
• Do not store a list of passwords in your
computer or personal electronic device.
• Do not send passwords online or via text.
• Avoid sharing passwords. If you suspect
someone has come across your password,
change it immediately.
11
Twitter Best Practices
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Use of Password Managers
A password manager has two main roles: (1) storing passwords, and (2)
generating strong and unique passwords. This application is essentially
like a digital book which stores all of your passwords using a “master
key.” By entering this key, access is granted to the rest of the passwords.
Therefore, such key or password has to remain highly protected. But its
second use is much more practical. The password manager automatically
generates passwords which contain a complex combination of uppercase
and lowercase characters, numbers, symbols and special characters,
which can complicate the unscrambling or detection of the password
by hackers. The use of a password manager prevents the common error
of using a single password across the various online platforms, thus
averting credential stufng attacks.
Blocking and Filtering
Utilizing blocking, reporting and ltering for emails, posts, as well as users,
allows the social networking services to monitor and ensure that the
services remain safe, secure and resilient. Every time a user or a post is
blocked, it allows the social media platform to impede similar content from
reappearing in your account’s (or any other account) feed. Refrain from
simply ignoring suspicious content: it is best to report it on an ongoing
basis, and when necessary, report serious threats to law enforcement.
6
Update Your Device Software
It is highly recommended for the software of any device to be updated as
often as possible. Not only will it be faster and afford a better experience;
it will provide better security. Updating the software can lead to
protection from scams, viruses, Trojans, phishing attacks, among many
other threats. Additionally, it can quickly resolve all vulnerabilities which
previous versions of the software may not be able to counter.
7
Use of Antivirus
Because the internet is an open network, any computer or device can
connect from anywhere. The use of antivirus software serves as an initial
scanner of any suspicious or malicious activity to which users are exposed,
through social media. Antivirus software can aid in overseeing the newsfeed
and can provide an added level of protection for the user from wrongfully
clicking on suspicious links which may contain spam and different types
of viruses such as worms.
8
However, having anti-virus software installed is
not a blanket protection as it cannot catch all malware; a device can still
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become infected. But it still adds a layer of protection that can be benecial
to the user. That is why it is critical to use common sense and be wary of any
messages that seem odd or suspicious.
9
VPN Use
A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is another tool through which internet
activity can remain undisclosed or hidden to cyber threats, such as hacking.
A VPN encrypts data and information while it travels from one place to
another on the internet. By using a VPN, internet users connect to a unique
IP address, allowing the initial IP connection or address to remain hidden.
10
Encryption of information is the process of converting internet data into a
code. The level of encryption or coding may vary according to the difculty
assigned by the VPN. Despite most government information being encrypted
at the most secure combination, there are lower-tier combinations used for
personal devices. Ciphering grants any activity privacy and security. The
information remains encrypted between the device and the server to which
it is connected to VPNs.
If you are not able to connect through a VPN, remember to use caution when
connecting. Delete all emails, Tweets and posts which look suspicious;
connect only to trustworthy WiFi hotspots; and if connected to a WiFi
hotspot, limit the type of business you conduct while connected. And when
connected, look for web addresses with https://, which means the site takes
extra measures to keep information secure. Http:// is not secure.
The above are just some of the means by which an individual or an organization
can be proactive in ensuring high levels of cybersecurity in social media and
electronic devices. Yet it is the responsibility of every user to remain informed
and continually revise privacy settings, update passwords, antiviruses and
VPNs to mitigate any risks associated with the use of social media.
VPN
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PART 3:
Distribution and Consumption
of Information on Twitter
Twitter is what is happening and what people are talking about right
now. With so much information available, we know that sometimes it
can be complicated to keep up with the conversation. We have prepared
different tools to help you keep up with what is happening in a simpler
way: TweetDeck, Lists, Advanced Search, Notications, Bookmarks.
In the next section, we provide recommendations to implement when
you are consuming information on Twitter, as well as tips on the use of
different tools and best practices.
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Verication of information on Twitter
On Twitter, you can check information and verify accuracy in no time at all. As an open and public
platform, you can converse with other people or search a hashtag
11
or keyword quickly, to allow you
to assess the authenticity of the information you receive.
When reading information, it is important to consider our own prejudices and be aware of our
reactions. Often, when we read information with which we disagree, we naturally ask ourselves
certain questions that support us refuting that information. The problem is that we generally do not
conduct this scrutiny when we read something that conrms our ideas and prejudices. That is why
we must get into the habit of always asking ourselves the who, what, where, when, how and why of
a piece of news or information.
Who ------------------------------
Who is the source?
Who writes the article?
Is the person a journalist, academician, or what is the writer’s profession?
What ---------------------------------
What did they say?
What are their motives?
What kind of article is it: news or opinion?
Is the article intentionally false or a joke?
Where ------------------------------
Where did they say it?
Is it a reliable source?
What is the website URL? Https:// or http://?
What other media or people covered this news?
When -----------------------------
When did they say it?
When was it published? Maybe it’s old news, is it dated?
Why -----------------------------
Why was the news published?
Is it to generate trafc?
Is it to provoke an action? If yes, whose?
How -------------------------------
How is it written?
Does it have excessive punctuation marks and capital letters?
Is the headline deceptive?
Does it have a conspiratorial tone?
11. Hashtags (written with the “#” sign before the word) are used to index keywords or topics on Twitter. This feature was created by
Twitter and it allows users to easily nd content around the topics that interest them.
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Twitter Tools for Information Consumption
TweetDeck
TweetDeck is the most powerful Twitter tool to monitor conversations in real
time, organize them, and engage. Its exibility and customizable design to
have several timelines in a single interface allows you to keep up to date on
what is happening on Twitter, on multiple topics and accounts, in real time.
How to start using TweetDeck
1. Go to http://tweetdeck.twitter.com or open the desktop app for Mac.
2. Log in with your Twitter account. We recommend that you use a Twitter account that is not
shared with other people.
3. When you are logged in, you can connect multiple Twitter accounts to your TweetDeck account.
Using TweetDeck columns
Instead of a single timeline, TweetDeck allows you to add columns to show specic content that
interests you and view them side by side. Add columns that show, for example, all your Mentions,
Search Results, a list of Likes, the latest Tweets from a hashtag or a trend, etc. You can also create
columns with information based on actions from other accounts, such as their Mentions, Lists, or
Tweets marked Like. The column options are:
Add and remove columns
To add a column, click in the navigation bar and select “Add column.” Then, select the type of
column you would like to add.
To remove a column, click in the column header next to the column title and then click the
“Remove” button to remove the column.
Column lters
You can easily control the type of Tweets you would like displayed in each of your columns. You can
select from Content, Location, Users, Engagements or Alerts; or a combination of all.
• Home - Home timeline for any specic account
• User - Tweets from a specic account
• Notications
• Search
• Lists
• Collections
• Trending
• Likes
• Messages
• Mentions
• Scheduled
• The content lter allows you to lter the column according to a certain type of Tweet,
such as Retweets, Tweets containing a specic word or phrase, or Tweets with photos.
• The location lter allows you to lter for Tweets geotagged in specic locations.
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• The user lter allows you to lter Tweets within a specic column written by a certain
author and those they mention.
• The engagement lter allows you to lter Tweets with a minimum number of Retweets,
likes or replies.
• The alert lter allows you to enable pop-ups or sounds for a particular column.
Note: If you create a search column, you can also lter results by location, date and
engagement. When applying location lters, keep in mind that only unprotected Tweets
geotagged with a location will appear in search results.
Each search will give you the following options to lter using different tabs that are displayed at the top of
the search. These lters are applied using an algorithm; a manual selection of search results is not made.
The tabs give you the option to see the Tweets:
• Top • Latest • People • Photos • Videos
Most relevant results
for you according to
your interests.
Search results in
chronological order.
Results of the
accounts that match
your query.
Top Latest People Top Latest People Pho p Latest People Photos
Search Results
Every time you do a search on Twitter, either from twitter.com or from the
application, you will receive results that can be ltered according to when
they were shared, or to the type of content.
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Search results that
contain photos.
Search results that
contain video.
Latest People Photos Vid atest People Photos Videos
Advanced Search
Both on TweetDeck and on twitter.com or in the app, you can use advanced
search. This allows you to customize the search results according to certain
ranges of dates, people, etc., to nd the content you are seeking, more
straightforwardly and faster.
On twitter.com, after entering your search item in the search bar, you can click on the top of the results
page in the drop-down menu for more options and then on Advanced search. A series of elds are
displayed for you to rene your search.
You can also do specic searches from TweetDeck or from the app using the following formulas in
the search bar:
According to the Tweet content:
Occurring now contains both terms occurring and now
“Occurring now” contains the exact phrase “Occurring now”
Tuesday OR Wednesday contains the term Tuesday or Wednesday (or both)
Advanced -search contains advanced but not search
#Live contains the hashtag #Live
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According to the Tweet information and engagements:
near:Bogotá
posted near Bogotá and not protected with geotagging.
For a more specic search you can also add:
within:15km, to see the Tweet published within a 15km
radius near Bogotá
autos since:2015-12-21
contains autos and was published starting on 2015-12-
21 (year-month-day)
#Live until:2016-06-23
contains #Live and was published before 2016-06-23
(year-month-day)
From:jack posted from the @jack Twitter account
list:CruzRojaVe/medios
posted from a Twitter account included in the @
CruzRojaVe List titled media
to:jack responding to the @jack Twitter account
@jack mentioning the @jack Twitter account
trafc lter:veried only Tweets of veried users with the term trafc
trafc source:tweetdeck
contains trafc and was published from tweetdeck.
Other options are: twitter_for_iphone, twitter_for_
android, and twitter_web_client
trafc min_retweets:5 contains trafc with a minimum number of 5 Retweets
trafc min_faves:10 contains trafc with a minimum number of 10 likes
trafc min_replies:100
contains trafc with a minimum number of 100
responses
trafc lter:nativeretweets Retweets containing the term trafc
Trafc ?
contains trafc and asks a question
trafc lter:media contains trafc and an image, video or
GIF. For a more specic search of multimedia content
you can place after lter: native_video, periscope,
images, or links
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Bear in mind that all of these formulas can be excluded from your search results using the “-” symbol
before it. For example, if you would like @NASA Tweets with multimedia content excluding photos,
you can use the search:
from:NASA lter:media -lter:images.
You can also combine the formulas above. For complex combinations, use parentheses to add
different lters. For example, if you would like to see:
Tweets that use the terms dog or cat, together with the terms love and hate, excluding Retweets, and
with at least 10 likes, you can use the search:
(dog OR cat) AND (love OR hate) -lter:nativeretweets min_faves:10
Tweets that use the term trafc and also the terms from or to, published by members of the @
CruzRojaVe Media list, sent from an iPhone or from twitter.com, with images, excluding the term
avoid, you can use the search:
trafc (from OR to) list:CruzRojaVe/medios (source:twitter_for_iphone OR source:twitter_
web_client) lter:images -avoid
Push Notications
On Twitter, you can receive a lot of information, but we know that there are
certain accounts the Tweets of which you would not like to miss. This is why
we have set up Push Notications, which will inform you when the selected
accounts you follow publish Tweets. You have the option of selecting to
activate Push Notications for all Tweets of a specic account, or only for
Tweets containing live broadcasts, from Periscope. These notications can
be activated and deactivated at any time as follows:
To receive notications when an account you follow posts a Tweet or streams a live video:
1. From the account prole, tap .
2. From twitter.com, you can only activate all types of notications. From the app, you will
have the option of choosing between two notication types: All Tweets or Only Tweets with
live video.
To cancel Tweet Notications for accounts you follow, return to the account prole, tap the
highlighted and select None.
You can view Tweet notications from accounts you follow, at any time, from twitter.com or from the app:
1. In the top menu, tap your prole icon.
2. Select Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Notications and then tap Push
Notications.
4. Tap Tweets.
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Bookmarks
From articles and threads, to videos and GIFs, timelines are full of Tweets that
you don’t always have time to fully explore. That is why we have the Bookmarks.
Therefore, on Twitter you have the possibility to change your timeline settings between Top Tweets
and Latest Tweets. To do this, press the in the upper right corner and choose the option of
your preference.
Note that the default option is Top Tweets, so if you have changed your preference to Latest Tweets and
stop using Twitter for a while, the settings will automatically revert to Top Tweets.
Lists
A List is a lter that shows you a customized timeline displaying only the
Tweets of the accounts on that List. You can create your own lists or subscribe
to lists created by other users. Likewise, lists can be private, for your own
monitoring, or public, to share information with other people about specic
groups of accounts.
Create a list:
1. Click on your prole to open the drop-down menu.
2. Click Lists.
3. Click Create new List.
4. Choose a name for your List and write a brief description. The name of the List cannot exceed
25 characters or begin with a number. Specify if you would like the List to be private (only you will
be able to see it and access it) or public (anyone can see and subscribe to the List).
5. Click Save List.
To Bookmark a Tweet, click below the Tweet and select Add Tweet to Bookmarks. When you
would like to go back it, select Bookmarks from your prole settings. You can remove Tweets from
your Bookmarks at any time. In addition, only you can see what you have bookmarked. This feature
helps you keep up with the best of Twitter, with the content you need more time to explore, or merely
one you would like to save for later reference.
Timeline of Top Tweets vs. Latest Tweets
When you see your timeline on Twitter, you see the most relevant Tweets,
according to your interests, at the top. However, sometimes you may want
to see the Tweets in chronological order, that is, see the latest Tweets rst.
This not only depends on your preferences, but also on the information you
are looking for. For example, during a sports event or in crisis and emergency
situations, it is more useful to receive the most current information.
Add people to a List – You don’t need to follow an account to add them to your List.
1. Click the in their prole page.
2. Select Add/remove from Lists. A pop-up window will display the lists you have created.
3. Click the checkbox next to the lists you would like to add the account to, or uncheck the
box or boxes next to the lists you would like to remove the account from.
Edit or delete a List:
1. Go to your prole page.
2. Click Lists.
3. Under Subscribed to, you will see the lists you have created and other people’s lists that
you follow.
4. Click or tap on the list you would like to edit or delete from the lists you have created.
5. Click or tap on Edit to update your list details or Delete to remove the list entirely.
Subscribe to other people’s Lists:
1. Click the in the other person’s prole.
2. Click Lists.
3. Select the Lists you would like to subscribe to.
4. On the Lists page, click or tap the Subscribe option to follow the List. You can follow a List
without having to follow each of the accounts that are part of that List.
Twitter Best Practices for Information Consumption
As mentioned earlier, we must acquire the habit of always asking ourselves certain questions about
any information we receive to assess veracity, and this is no different with Twitter. Here are some
specic questions relating to Twitter that you can ask yourself before sharing a content.
Pause, read carefully and analyze the information before sharing it, Retweeting it, Tweeting with
comment, or giving it a Like. And ask yourself:
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Who
What
Do you know the person or organization that is sharing the
information and do you know whether or not it is a reliable source?
Go to their prole and check bio, location, account age, previous
Tweets and the engagements they have received. Is it a veried
account? Who does it follow and who is following it? What is the
website appearing in the prole? If the prole is suspicious, go to
their website.
• Pay attention to the website URL. Organizations,
institutions, and media generally have standardized domains
which you are probably familiar with. Sites with endings
like “.com.co” should make you doubt their legitimacy and
prompt you to nd out more about them and their sources.
This is true even when the site looks professional and has
semi-recognizable logos. For example, abcnews.com is a
legitimate news source, but abcnews.com.co is not, despite
its similar appearance.
• Read the About us section. Most sites will have a lot
of information about the organization, its administration,
mission and objectives. You should also be able to nd more
information about the organization and its leaders on other
websites.
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Does the Tweet reect an opinion or information?
Information: Is it sharing an article or stating where you can get
more information?
• Read beyond the headline, and review the comments.
Headlines are intended to get readers’ attention, but they are also
expected to accurately reect what the story is about. This is not
always the case. Headlines are often written in an exaggerated
language that can be quite misleading, so it is very important to
scan the story and not get carried away by the headline.
• Look at the quotes–or lack thereof–in the story. The
majority will have multiple sources, coming from professionals
with experience in the eld they are writing about. The quotes will
mention other sources you can check to verify the information.
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• Are the people being quoted a reliable source, with a title
that can be veried through a quick search? Search those
quotes to nd the context. Learn what the entire speech or article
was about, to whom it was addressed and when it happened.
How much interaction did the Tweet have? - Watch for Retweets and likes.
What responses did the Tweet receive? While responses should not be
considered a reliable source of information without rst studying it more
in depth, seeing other people’s responses will give you a good idea of the
reactions to the news and you may nd comments that dismiss it if it is
false or misleading.
When
Why
How
Be sure to look at the date of the Tweet(s) to know if the content is
current or if the date is relevant to the information being shared.
What seems to be the motivation to share the information?
How is the content presented? Is it an RT, a QT, a thread, a Moment, a
video, a live broadcast, or is it sharing a link to a web page?
Is it using hashtags relating to the topic? Be careful if the Tweet is using
a hashtag that is trending without it relating to the information being
shared, since this is a deceptive strategy to get people’s attention.
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Best Practices for Authorities and Organizations When Sharing Information
For individuals, tweeting their status is a quick way to reach the maximum number of people and
corresponding authorities, with minimal effort. For organizations and authorities, Twitter is the fastest
way to spread the most important information, to the largest number of people.
To use Twitter effectively it is necessary to have a good content plan and be consistent. Your daily
communications help you grow your audience and credibility for when you need to share key and
perhaps urgent information.
• Update your name and prole information: bio, location and website
• Add a header and prole picture.
• Dene your tone. Share who you are and/or what the purpose of the institution is,
show your voice to the world. Start a conversation, not a speech. People go to Twitter to
chat with you; if they simply wanted to know what you or your organization have to say,
they would visit your website.
• Set your best Tweet. You can set one of your Tweets at the top of your prole so that
your followers know what topics interest you most. Change it as many times as you wish.
• Engage with other users. Basic interactions (Likes, Retweets, mentions and replies)
will help to develop conversations around the topics that interest you.
• Tweet multimedia content. Post Tweets with photos and videos, and share a small part
of your day to day. Remember to share native videos and not from other platforms.
• Broadcast news. People come to Twitter to nd out “what’s going on.” Take advantage
of this and use Twitter to give rst-hand news and share ofcial announcements (use the
Twitter Threads).
• Discuss live events. Participate in the moment when it comes to breaking news,
unexpected situations, specic moments, etc.
• Make question sessions. Encourage your followers to send questions and use Twitter
as a direct channel to answer them and to educate about the topics you are working on.
• Stream live with Periscope. Stream live from Twitter and allow your followers to be
part of what is happening.
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PART 4:
Safety on Twitter
Twitter is a space of free expression, where we want people to communicate openly and freely. To
ensure that people feel safe in expressing various opinions and beliefs, we have rules in the use of our
service to improve the health of public conversation and prevent voices from being silenced. In this
section we explain our rules, as well as tools that help you control your Twitter experience.
Twitter Rules
Twitter reects the real conversations that are happening in the world,
and this sometimes includes perspectives that others may nd offensive,
controversial or intolerant. While we accept that all express themselves on
our platform, we do not tolerate behaviors that use harassment, intimidation
or fear to silence other people’s voice. Our rules are intended to ensure that
all people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely. Our
rules are divided into three main categories: safety, privacy and authenticity:
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Safety
• Violence: You may not threaten the use of violence against an individual or a group of
people. We also prohibit the glorication of violence.
• Terrorism/violent extremism: You may not threaten or promote terrorism or violent extremism.
• Child sexual exploitation: We have zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation on Twitter.
• Abuse/harassment: You may not engage in the targeted harassment of someone, or incite
other people to do so. This includes wishing or hoping that someone experiences physical harm.
• Hateful conduct: You may not promote violence against, threaten or harass other people
on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious
afliation, age, disability or serious illness.
• Suicide or self-harm: You may not encourage or promote suicide or self-harm.
• Sensitive media, including graphic violence and adult content: You may not post media
content that is excessively gory or share violent or adult content within live videos or in prole
or header images. Media depicting sexual violence and/or assault is also not allowed.
• Illegal or regulated goods or services: You may not use our service for any unlawful purpose
or to promote illegal activities. This includes the sale, purchase or facilitation of transactions
of illegal goods or services, as well as certain types of regulated goods or services.
Privacy
• Private information: You cannot publish other people’s private information (such as home
phone number and address) without their authorization and permission. We also prohibit
threatening to disclose private information or encourage others to do so.
• Non-consensual nudity: You cannot post or share intimate photos or videos of another
person that were produced or distributed without that person’s consent.
Authenticity
• Spam and platform manipulation: You may not use Twitter’s services for the purpose of
articially amplifying or suppressing information, or carrying out actions that manipulate or
disrupt the user experience on Twitter.
• Election Integrity: You may not use Twitter services for the purpose of manipulating
or interfering in elections. This includes posting or sharing content that can deter voter
participation or mislead people about when, where or how to vote.
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• Impersonation: You may not impersonate individuals, groups or organizations in a way that
is intended to, or in fact, does confuse, deceive or mislead other people.
• Copyright and trademark: You may not violate the intellectual property rights of others,
including copyright and trademark.
More detailed information about our rules is available in our Help Center https://twitter.com/rules.
Always keep in mind that we may have to change our rules occasionally to support our goal
of fostering a constructive public conversation. The most updated version is always available at
https://twitter.com/rules.
Tweet-level enforcement:
We take action at the Tweet level to ensure that we are not overly harsh with an account that made a
mistake and violated our Rules but, which otherwise, has not presented problems. Among the actions
we may take at the Tweet level, are the following:
• Limiting Tweet visibility. This measure reduces the visibility of content on Twitter, in search
results, in replies and in timelines. The decision to limit the visibility of the Tweet depends on
a series of signals about the nature of the interaction and the quality of the content.
• Requiring Tweet removal. If we determine that the Tweet violated the Twitter Rules, we
require the violator to remove it in order to Tweet again. We send an email notication to the
violator, which identies the Tweet(s) that violate our rules. The violator must eliminate the
offending Tweet or appeal our decision if the person believe that we made a mistake.
• Hiding a violating Tweet while awaiting removal. In the period between when Twitter
takes enforcement action and the person deletes the Tweet in question, we hide that Tweet
from public view and replace the original content with a notice stating that the Tweet is no
longer available because it violated our Rules. This notice will be available for 14 days after
Tweet removed.
Enforcement of our Rules
We can take action at the level of the Tweet, the Direct Message and the
account; we may even use a combination of them. In enforcing our rules, we
assume that people do not intentionally violate our Rules. Unless a breach
is so agrant that it forces us to suspend an account immediately, we rst
try to educate people about our Rules and give them the opportunity to
correct their behavior. We show them the Tweet(s) that violate our policies,
we explain which Rule was broken and we request removal of the content
in order to be able to Tweet again. If a person violates our Rules repeatedly,
our enforcement measures become more serious. Some of the measures
we can take are the following:
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Direct Message-level enforcement:
• Stopping conversations between a reported violator and the reporter’s account.
When one of the participants of a private Direct Message conversation reports the
other participant, we will stop the violator from sending messages to the person who
reported the violator. In addition, the conversation will be removed from the reporter’s
inbox. However, the conversation will resume if the reporter decides to continue
sending Direct Messages to the violator.
• Placing a Direct Message behind an interstitial. In a group Direct Message conversation,
the violating message may be placed behind an interstitial so that no one else in the
group can see it again.
Account-level enforcement:
We take account-level action if we determine that a person violated the Twitter Rules agrantly,
or that the person repeatedly violated them even after receiving our notications.
• Requiring media or prole edits. If an account’s prole or media content does not
comply with our policies, we may make it temporarily unavailable and require that the
violator edit the media or information of the prole to come into compliance. We also
explain what policy violated the prole or media content.
• Placing an account in read-only mode. If an account that otherwise has no problems
has an abusive behavior episode, we can temporarily modify its settings to be read-
only, which limits its ability to Tweet, Retweet or use the Like function, until it calms
down. The person can read timelines and can only send Direct Messages to followers.
When an account is in read-only mode, others can continue to view and engage with it.
The duration of this enforcement action may vary from 12 hours to 7 days, depending
on the type of violation.
• Verifying account ownership. To ensure that violators do not abuse the anonymity we
offer and harass other people on the platform, we may require the account owner to
verify ownership with a phone number or an email address. This also helps us identify
and take action regarding violators who are operating multiple accounts for abusive
purposes.
• Permanent suspension. This is the most severe enforcement action. Permanent
suspension of an account will cause it to be removed from global view, and the violator
will not be allowed to create new accounts. When we permanently suspend an account,
we inform the user about suspension for abuse violations, and explain what policy or
policies they violated and which content was in violation.
Appeals:
In the case of any of the aforementioned actions, the respondents or violators can appeal our actions
if they believe we made a mistake. They can do so through the platform interface or by ling a report
on help.twitter.com/forms. Upon appeal if we nd that the suspension is valid, we respond to the
appeal with information about the policy that the account has violated.
Reporting Violations to the Rules
If on Twitter you nd content that you believe violates any of our rules, please
report it. When reporting, remember that the context you can provide is very
important. Similarly, keep in mind that not all content that some may consider
offensive or intolerant is necessarily in violation of our rules.
When determining whether actions will be taken regarding a report, we may
consider a number of factors, including:
• If the behavior is directed at an individual, a group or a protected category of people.
• If the reporter is the subject of the abuse or a witness.
• If the user has a history of violating our policies.
• The severity of the violation.
• If the content is a matter of legitimate public interest.
At help.twitter.com/forms you can nd the direct forms for any type of report you would like to make
about violations of the Twitter Rules. And you also have direct options from twitter.com and from the
application to report Tweets, accounts, or direct messages.
Reporting an account:
1. Open the prole you would like to report.
2. Select the .
3. Select Report and then select the type of problem you would like to report.
4. Depending on your selection, we will ask you for additional information selected on the problem
you are reporting. In addition, we may ask you to select other Tweets from the same account so
that we can have more context to evaluate your report.
Report a Tweet:
1. Navigate to the Tweet you would like to report.
2. Tap the located at the top of the Tweet.
3. Select Report Tweet.
4. Depending on your selection, we will ask you to provide additional information on the problem
you are reporting. In addition, we may ask you to select other Tweets from the same account so
that we can have more context to evaluate your report.
MEDIA LITERACY AND DIGITAL SECURITY
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30
Report a Direct Message:
1. Click into the Direct Message conversation
you would like to report.
2. Click the report icon.
3. Select Report @username.
4. Depending on your selection, we will ask you to
provide additional information on the problem you
are reporting. In addition, we may ask you to select
other messages from the same account so that we can
have more context to evaluate your report.
5. Once you submit the report, we will recommend other
actions you can take to control and improve your Twitter
experience.
Control Your Experience on Twitter
Twitter is a place designed for sharing ideas and information, connecting with
our communities and seeing the world around us. In order to protect the
best aspects of this experience, we provide tools to help you control what
you see and what other people can see about you, so you can express
yourself with condence on Twitter.
Muting
Muting another Twitter account means
that Tweets from that account will not
appear in your timeline. It is a great
way to stay connected with friends,
even if you are not interested in seeing
all their Tweets. Muted accounts do
not receive any notice that you have
muted them. In addition, you will
continue to receive notications when
they mention you in Tweets and send
you Direct Messages. You can also
mute accounts you do not follow so
that you do not see their Tweets in your
notication timeline.
Muted accounts have no way of knowing that you muted them,
and you can unmute them at any time. To access this option, click
the icon on a Tweet and click Mute. To unmute an account, visit the
Twitter prole of the muted account, click the Mute icon to unmute. On
the Twitter app for iOS or Android, tap Unmute next to “You have muted
Tweets from this account.”
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You can Mute Tweets that contain certain words, phrases, usernames, emojis or hashtags. Muting will
cause these Tweets to be removed from your Notications tab, push notications, email notications,
Home timeline and replies to Tweets. You will still see these Tweets in searches. To add or remove
items from your mute list:
1. Click Settings and privacy in the drop-down menu of your prole image.
2. Click Muted Words.
3. Click Add.
4. Enter the word or hashtag you would like to mute, one at a time.
5. Select Home timeline if you would like to mute the word or phrase from your Home
timeline. Select Notications if you would like to mute the word or phrase from your
Notications.
6. Choose the option From anyone or From only people I do not follow.
7. Under For how long? choose between Forever, 24 hours from now, 7 days from now
or 30 days from now.
8. Click Add.
Blocking
By blocking a Twitter account, you prevent that account from interacting
with yours. Blocking can be useful to control unwanted interactions from
accounts that you are not interested in. The accounts you have blocked will
not be able to view your Tweets, your follower or following lists, your likes
or lists of selected accounts, when logged in on Twitter. You will also not
receive notications of mentions directly from those accounts. You will also
stop viewing the Tweets of those accounts in your timeline.
Users of blocked accounts may notice that you blocked them if they try to visit your prole or follow
you, but they will not receive notications that you blocked them. To access this option, press the icon
on a Tweet of that person and click Block.
To unblock an account, visit the blocked account’s prole on Twitter, click the Blocked button and conrm
that you wish to unblock the account by selecting Unblock on Twitter for iOS or Yes on Twitter for Android.
Notications Filter
The Notications timeline shows engagements with other Twitter accounts,
such as mentions, Likes, Retweets and who has started following you. If you
receive unwanted replies or mentions of accounts that you don’t follow, you
can lter the types of notications you receive. In the notication settings,
you have three options to lter the notications you receive: quality lter,
muted words and advanced lters.
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• When the Quality Filter is turned on, it lters lower-quality content so that it does not appear
in your notications (for example, duplicate Tweets or content that seems to be automated)
but it does not lter notications from the people you follow or accounts you have interacted
with recently. You have the option to this on or off in your notications settings.
• You can use the muted words option to mute notications that include specic words and
phrases that you do not wish to see in your notications.
• The Advanced Filters option allows you to disable notications of certain types of accounts
that you would like to avoid. Also, if your account receives a lot of sudden attention, we may
insert a notication in your Notications tab inviting you to adjust these lters in order to give
you more control over what you see.
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REFERENCES
1. News and Media Literacy: What is Media Literacy, Common Sense Media:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-digital-literacy
(consulted August 18, 2019).
2. Media and Information Literacy for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Grizzle, A and Singh, J. (2016). In the MILID Yearbook 2016
3. Standars for a Free, Open, and Inclusive Internet. IACH, OAS:
http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/expression/docs/publications/INTERNET_2016_ENG.pdf
(consulted March 15, 2017).
4. Social Media Guide. Homeland Security, US Government:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/les/publications/Social%20Media%20Guide_5.pdf
5. Password. Get Safe Online Free expert advice:
https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/passwords/
6. Social Media Guide. Homeland Security, US Government:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/les/publications/Social%20Media%20Guide_5.pdf
7. Update Your Browser. Get Safe Online Free expert advice:
https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-your-computer/update-your-browser/
8. Privacy. Norton:
https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-5-tips-for-social-media-security-and-privacy.html
(consulted in 2019).
9. Security Awareness Tip of The Day. SANS:
https://www.sans.org/tip-of-the-day?
(consulted September 2019).
10. Secure VPN. AVG:
https://www.avg.com/en-us/secure-vpn
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