Janice R. Andrews
X has reinstituted its policy prohibiting misgendering and deadnaming on its site, which is a huge step towards inclusion and respect for its users. This regulation was discreetly deleted by the corporation last year, which alarmed both users and advocacy organizations. But X has made a clear stand against the deliberate misuse of pronouns and names, particularly in relation to transgender people, with its most recent revision to the abuse and harassment policy, which was released in January.
There is a new section on the modified abuse and harassment page called “Use of Prior Names and Pronouns.” This section clearly states X’s intention to lessen the visibility of postings that refer to people who have transitioned using improper pronouns or their previous names. Posts that break this restriction, according to Ars Technica, may lose priority in search results, home timelines, trends, and alerts. In addition, these postings will only be visible through the authors’ accounts and will be relegated to the responses area, guaranteeing little visibility.
This action reverses X’s earlier choice, made in April 2023, to discreetly eliminate its long-standing policy against misgendering and deadnaming. Advocacy organizations, such as GLAAD, whose CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, voiced worries about the platform’s security for advertisers and users, have criticized the change. Notably, X’s owner, Elon Musk, has come under fire for interacting with anti-trans content on social media, casting doubt on the business’s dedication to diversity.
X will only act on postings in accordance with the reestablished policy if the impacted party reports the infraction on their own. Although this method tries to alleviate the difficulty in identifying infractions, it puts the onus on the target, which can discourage reporting and worsen the effects of abuse. Jenni Olson, senior director of social media safety at GLAAD, stressed the need of having explicit policies against misgendering and deadnaming, saying that these policies offer vital direction to both platforms and users.
Beyond only content control, the initiative to make offensive messages less visible is an attempt to protect the platform’s income stream and reputation. To reduce the possibility of the kind of ad income losses that were observed in late 2023, X will not allow such postings to appear in prominent areas and will not allow them to be used in advertisements. Following allegations of advertising being displayed alongside undesirable content, advertisers pulled their campaigns from the site, underscoring the significance of upholding a safe and brand-friendly environment.
Restoring X’s anti-deadnaming and anti-misgendering policy shows a fresh dedication to building a civil and welcoming online community. Although there are still obstacles to overcome in order to properly implement and enforce these standards, the platform’s proactive actions are a positive first step. Through a focus on user safety and the resolution of harmful conduct, X seeks to foster an inclusive community for all of its users, irrespective of gender identity or expression.
