Twitter’s algorithm suspended my account — the design community helped restore it
Our social media presence is built on a sand foundation. It could move, shift and disintegrate at any moment, without any warning signs or notice. We have to consider this concept as we spent so much time creating a personal and professional brand that is not subject to our rules, but the rules of an imperfect and impersonal algorithm. Rules that apply if you are not a high profile figure and are bluntly ignored if you are in many cases, in a position of power.
What can we do if the algoritm takes the platform away from us? Do we have a recourse to get it back? What if the appeal is unequivacally denied?
These were some of the many questions filled with mixed emotions I asked myself recently. I am sharing my story because I found out that I was not alone. Many people mentioned that something similar happened to them.
I feel fortunate because I was the beneficiary of a strong wave of support from our Design Community. Other people may not be as lucky.
Panic — what the hell happened? why is this happening to *me*?
On Monday, October 28, in the eve of my trip to Medellin, Colombia to Interaction Latin America — ILA19Med, as I was making the last preparations for my workshop at the conference, I went to check on my Twitter time line to see what was going on. I opened Twitter on my phone, I encountered a disconcerting message — “Your account is currently suspended.” I went to my laptop to double checked and there it was too. The message was clear. Twitter had suspended my account.
In denial
Initially, I panicked. I was in desbelief. I though there must be some kind of error. I checked my DesignImpact account and it was working fine. As I switched back to my personal account, the message was still there. “Your account has been suspended for violations to the Twitter rules.”
I tried to send a Tweet as a test, and the result was the same.
The appeal — My account is suspended, now what?
I googled the issue and it took me to the Twitter Support page “Appeal an account suspension or locked account.”
The instructions are pretty simple and easy to follow:
- Where is it happening?
- Description of the problem
- Full Name
- Twitter handle
- Phone number
After filling the form, I received an email from Twitter support — an automated response requesting more information and details. I thought that if I provided more details, the misunderstanding would be cleared and my account would be restored in the morning.
Following the submission of the additional details, in unequivocal terms, Twitter Support responds “your account is suspended for multiple violations — do not reply or send new appeals… we won’t monitor them.”
The result of the appeal was clear. From Twitter’s perspective, the appeal was denied and there was no recourse for me.
Feeling Powerless — what do I do now? Go to the design community for support
I did not know what to do, I was feeling powerless. I imagine I could file another appeal, however, the message was clear. It will be ignored. A light bulb lid up — let’s take a multi-prong approach:
- File a new appeal via Twitter Support
- Write an open letter to the design community using Twitter’s platform to amplify my voice, add a few specific hashtags and maybe tag a few people I knew.
- Leveraged LinkedIn as an additional avenue to reach the community.
An Open Letter to #DesignTwitter
I wrote the appeal to Twitter and used the same information to write a Twitter Thread. I cover all sections of the Twitter rules to ensure I address each area.
#OpenLetter to @Twitter & @TwitterSupport to #reinstate @jcoronado1 account — written by Jose Coronado.
Dear Twitter,
I still do not understand why my account is suspended without any warning or explanation. It is mind-boggling.
I do not have or have been involved in any of the following: Safety — Violence, Terrorism/violent extremism, Child sexual exploitation, Abuse/harassment, Hateful conduct, Suicide or self-harm, Sensitive media, Illegal or certain regulated goods or services.
I have not or have been involved in issues regarding Privacy — Private information, Non-consensual nudity. Authenticity — Platform manipulation and spam, Election integrity, Impersonation, Copyright and trademark.
I still do not understand why my account is suspended without any warning or explanation. It is mind-boggling that my account which does not get involved in politics or harassment.
I am really at a loss since this week is the most important conference for design in the spanish/portuguess speaking world @ILA19Medellin #ILA19Med
By not having access to my twitter account I am missing the discussion around #ILA19MED as well as the opportunity to promote the content of the conference and the speakers.
I am also missing the exposure that #ILA19MED gives to people like me who work really hard to get on stage and share what we hope is a good message to the audience.
I hope I get reinstated as soon as possible as this is a very important week for me from both a personal and professional perspective.
Thanks for reviewing and reconsidering this decision.
Sincerely,
JOSE
LinkedIn open letter
Surprising Response — the community came to support the call to restore the account
My biggest surprise came from corners of the Design community. People demanded a corrective action from Twitter, asking for them to “fix your busted platform,” “address this ASAP,” “[this is] hurting our community” and “spare a moment to fix” the account.
I am grateful to the people I know, and specially thankful to those that I have never met who also came to support this call for help.
Speculation — Trying to figure out what happened
On Tuesday evening, October 29, the day before the conference kicked off in Medellin, I met several speakers and workshop leaders. I related my ordeal with Twitter. We speculated as to what could have happened. Our theory revolved around a few areas:
- Live Tweeting conferences: over the last several weeks, I spoke in a handful of conferences. I live tweeted these events. In may instances, I was one of the few people tweeting, so I was doing many more tweets than the rest of the attendees. Probability: Moderate
- Promoting conferences, speakers and workshops: I always like to promote speakers, workshops [whether I lead one or not] and the conferences that I attend or where I see people I follow. Probability: High, very likely.
- The account was hacked — while it was a far fetched possibility, it could have been a possible reason that could explain the issues with the account. Probability: Very Low, Unlikely.
It appears that a perfect stormed brewed and triggered the flags in the Twitter algorithm. Too many tweets and too many hashtags were interpreted by the algorithm rules as a violation of the platform rules. They were seen as an attempt to hijack the conversation with the intent to promote unrelated products and services. Go figure.
Gratitude and commitment to give back
In this ordeal I realized something important. We may feel strong and invincible. However, we are only as strong as our family and friends and our support network. I could have not come out of this hole if I tried to fix this by myself.
The power of the Design Community came out in full force to support a small cause. I believe that we have the strength to support one another with bigger issues.
I will continue to give back to our community in the ways I can. I will continue sharing what I learn in conferences, live tweeting, promoting speakers and events.
I will continue speaking at local, regional and international events to help develop talent, and keep a healthy discourse in our profession.
I will continue supporting diverse and inclusive practices, bringing new voices and helping put them on stage. Promote new role models that our community can identify with.
I have to acknowledge that this small incident pales in comparison to what many people go through in social media platforms — doxing, harassment, threats, bulling. As a society and a community we have the responsibility to increase the level of the discourse. We have the opportunity to promote and develop our professional practice and contribute to a better tomorrow.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not represent the views of current or previous clients or employers.
