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Twitter just made it easier to report harassment to the cops

Twitter just made it easier to report harassment to the cops

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Let's hope local law enforcement checks their email

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Twitter "sucks at dealing with abuse." CEO Dick Costolo said so himself. Today the company released another change as part of its promise to start sucking less. Twitter users who are threatened on the service and file a report will have the option of emailing that report to local law enforcement.

With this rollout, users who go through the already simplified process of reporting a threat will see a new option on the last screen.


Twitter says the report will instruct law enforcement on how to get more information. The first question on its guideline for law enforcement is "What is Twitter?":

Clicking the "Email report" button will send you an email that packages the threatening Tweet and URL along with the responsible Twitter username and URL and a timestamp as well as your account information and the timestamp of your report. Our guidelines for law enforcement explain what additional information we have and how authorities can request it. While we take threats of violence seriously and will suspend responsible accounts when appropriate, we strongly recommend contacting your local law enforcement if you’re concerned about your physical safety. We hope that providing you with a summary of your report will make that process easier for you.

The new report is easier to share and makes it easier to document abuse. But users are on their own in terms of figuring out the right law enforcement agency to contact. And of course, that's assuming anyone can get the authorities to take an online threat seriously.