#Twitter has restored a feature that promoted #suicideprevention hotlines and support groups after its CEO #ElonMusk was criticized over their removal.
The feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, placed a banner at the top of search results for certain topics and listed contacts for organizations in numerous countries related to #mentalhealth, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, #Covid-19, gender-based violence, natural disasters and freedom of expression.
Twitter’s head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, confirmed the removal and called it temporary. Irwin said: “We have been fixing and revamping our prompts. They were just temporarily removed while we do that. We expect to have them back up next week.”
Irwin said: “Google does really well with these in their search results and [we] are actually mirroring some of their approach with the changes we are making.” She added: “We know these prompts are useful in many cases and just want to make sure they are functioning properly and continue to be relevant.”
Musk, who did not initially respond to requests for comment about the removal, had tweeted: “False, it is still there.” In response to criticism by #Twitter users, the billionaire also wrote that “#Twitter doesn’t prevent #suicide.”
The initial removal had led some consumer safety groups and #Twitter users to express concerns about the wellbeing of vulnerable users on the platform.
Eirliani Abdul Rahman, who had been on a recently dissolved #Twitter content advisory group, said the disappearance of #ThereIsHelp was “extremely disconcerting and profoundly disturbing”. She added even if it was only temporarily removed to make way for improvements, “normally you would be working on it in parallel, not removing it”.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Musk has previously said that impressions, or views, of harmful content are declining since he took over the company in October and has tweeted graphs showing a downward trend, even as researchers and civil rights groups have tracked an increase in tweets with racial slurs and other hateful content.
The entrepreneur has also declared he wants to combat #childabuse imagery on #Twitter and has criticized the previous ownership’s handling of the issue. But he has reduced large portions of the teams involved in dealing with potentially objectionable material.
#Twitter had launched some prompts about five years ago and some had been available in over 30 countries, according to company tweets.
In one of its blog posts about the #ThereIsHelp feature, #Twitter had said it had responsibility to ensure users could “access and receive support on our service when they need it most”.
Just as Musk bought the company, the feature was expanded to show information related to natural disaster searches in Indonesia and Malaysia.
The year is 2033. #ElonMusk is no longer one of the richest people in the world, having hemorrhaged away his fortune trying to make #Twitter profitable. Which, alas, hasn’t worked out too well: only 420 people are left on the platform. Everyone else was banned for not laughing at Musk’s increasingly desperate jokes.
In other news, Pete Davidson is now dating Martha Stewart. Fast and the Furious 78 has just hit the box offices. An 86-year-old #DonaldTrump is still threatening to run for president. And British tabloids are still churning out 100 articles a day about whether Meghan Markle eating lunch is an outrageous snub to the royal family.
Obviously I have no idea what the world is going to look like in a decade. But here’s one prediction I feel very confident making: without a free and fearless press the future will be bleak. Without independent journalism, democracy is doomed. Without journalists who hold power to account, the future will be entirely shaped by the whims and wants of the 1%.
A lot of the 1% are not big fans of the Guardian, by the way. #DonaldTrump once praised a Montana congressman who body-slammed a Guardian reporter. Musk, meanwhile, has described the Guardian, as “the most insufferable newspaper on planet Earth.” I’m not sure there is any greater compliment.
I am proud to write for the Guardian. But ethics can be expensive. Not having a paywall means that the Guardian has to regularly ask our readers to chip in. If you are able, please do consider supporting us. Only with your help can we continue to get on #ElonMusk’s nerves.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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