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Twitter user suspended for ‘hateful conduct’ after tweeting in Welsh language

13 Nov 2021 2 minute read
The tweet for which Dr. Sara Louise Wheeler was suspended

Twitter has suspended a user for “hateful conduct” after publishing a completely innocuous tweet in the Welsh language.

Dr. Sara Louise Wheeler, who is a guest research fellow at Wrexham Glyndwr University, was told she had “violated” Twitter’s rules against hateful conduct after tweeting about Welsh grammar.

“I want Welsh that that doesn’t need to be corrected,” she tweeted in the language. “I’ve tried reading loads of Welsh grammar books over the last twenty years – but I just don’t learn that way.

“But as I said tonight I can remember the songs in performances. Aran Jones is going to try and harness this.”

Twitter however declared her tweet hateful conduct, saying: “You may not promote violence against, threaten or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability or serious disease.”

Taking to Instagram after being suspended from Twitter, Sara Louise Wheeler expressed bemusement that she’s been banned for tweeting about Welsh grammar.

“Suspended in Twitter for tweeting in Welsh about my struggles to learn Welsh grammar,” she said.

“Careful my friends, better not talk about Welsh grammar in Welsh on Twitter it’s hateful conduct apparently.”

Others on Twitter rallied in Sara Louise Wheeler’s defence.


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Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

I’m not surprised. I used to use Twitter a few years ago but left because when I flagged actual racist users and offensive imagery uploaded noticed it rarely was taken down. So on hearing this was amazed to see this stupefying overreaction to this inoffensive post.

Surely whoever moderates Twitter can discern between a hostile tweet that’s hateful and one that’s innocuous like Dr. Sara Louise Wheeler who innocently posted about Welsh grammar?

Dafydd ap Robart
Dafydd ap Robart
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

Rwy’n credu eich bod chi’n tybio gormod trwy feddwl bod gan Twitter unrhyw gymedrolwyr sy’n siarad Cymraeg.

Haiden Grantham-Hogg
Haiden Grantham-Hogg
2 years ago

Ond dal. Dylai Trydar gwybod y wahaniaeth rhwng iaith treisgar a Chymraeg. Nad yw’n hyd yn oed yn edrych fel Saesneg! Roedd angen iddynt wneud tamaid o ymchwilio cyn iddynt ei thynnu.

Glwyo
Glwyo
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

It was most likely a bot decision. Possibly one or two words match the pattern of offensive speech in another language. (You don’t seriously think social media has actual human beings doing the moderation do you?)

James William Soares Jones

The world needs to learn more Cymraeg, not less. Written in Saesneg by a North American man with the birth surname “Jones”. I am Cymro via the inter webs!

Dr Sara Louise Wheeler

Dal yn aros i glywed/ still waiting to hear 🙄

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Haiden Grantham-Hogg
Haiden Grantham-Hogg
2 years ago

Dydw i ddim yn deall pam mae yna bobl sy’n postio pethau sy’n hiliol neu’n homoffobig ac yn gallu cerdded i ffwrdd fel wnaeth dim byd digwydd. Ond wrth ichi bostio rhywbeth diniwed yn ein hiaith, mae Trydar yn rhedeg bant a chweryla bod ein defnydd o’n hiaith yn dreisgar.

Dr Sara Louise Wheeler

Ah dwi’n gwbod, mae’n sarhaus! Mae angen teak ar eu algorithm ynde 🙈

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

Amazon removed my review of a Welsh book in Welsh – but this is truly ludicrous.

Dr Sara Louise Wheeler
Reply to  Erisian

Blimey! That’s worse I think…they’re not under pressure in the same way as social media to control things on their platform 🤷🏼‍♀️

Crwtyddol
2 years ago

There’s a new employment opportunity, Welsh speaker required to review Welsh Twitter posts!

Dr Sara Louise Wheeler
Reply to  Crwtyddol

LOL! Or certainly one to help them tweet their algorithms 🙈

Notta Bott
Notta Bott
2 years ago

Twitter doesn’t act on anti welsh tweets and racial terms used toward Welsh people, interesting. Mind you some people on Welsh twitter are out there spewing hate too.

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

No surprises here. All these global tech corporates have their templates for the “ideal” global end game and they do NOT include minority languages or cultures. These are the real new faces of fascism, a totalitarianism delivered by corporations who wield more power than many countries. Their tech is intrusive and enables an unacceptable high level of surveillance.

Jeff
Jeff
2 years ago

Big Tech is pure cultural imperialism, a means to dictate that the whole world follows the norms of wacky San Francisco. Not only do they frown on any language other than English, but they even clamp down on non-American English: viz the debacle a couple of years ago about the censoring of a tweet about famous and peas.

Jeff
Jeff
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff

For famous read ‘faggots’

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