When Twitter first launched in 2006, its founder probably never realized the profound effect that it would have on society and our modern culture. With over 350M active users, it seems like everyone is using the platform—from the average Joe to US President Joe Biden. 

Being able to write a few short sentences and send them off into the world in just a few clicks for everyone to see was unimaginable in the early days of the internet. And whilst anyone with an email address can sign up and start tweeting about what they like, the importance of thinking before you speak should always be considered on the site. 

The no-filter approach might be what makes the platform so popular, but it’s also the reason for many public figures to get canceled. For those still unfamiliar with the new use of the term, Dictionary.com defines ‘canceling’ or ‘cancel culture’ as: “withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive.”

Although the millennial generation is known for being more aware of social issues and boycotting has been around forever, cancel culture itself has risen most dramatically at the end of the 2010s and has been weaponized in some ways.

Director James Gunn comes to mind as one person canceled in 2018 for his historical tweets. After joking about pedophilia and sexual assault in now-deleted tweets, he was promptly dropped from his position working with Disney who condemned his comments.

Gunn claims that the smear movement to cancel him was motivated by those who disagreed with his political comments. It was only after a public apology and a campaign from his peers that he was re-instated by the company to continue working together. 

Whilst Gunn’s comments can be chalked up to poor judgment and his supposed need to be provocative, it shows that are consequences for what’s been said online. But not for everyone on the platform. So, how far does Twitter go to censor its users, and do they do it all? 

“Free expression is a human right–we believe that everyone has a voice, and the right to use it,” reads Twitter’s rules and policies. They say that their mission is to “give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information, and to express their opinions and beliefs without barriers”.

However, this is in accordance with their policies against hateful conduct, rather than allowing it. The rules explain further: “We are committed to combating abuse motivated by hatred, prejudice or intolerance, particularly abuse that seeks to silence the voices of those who have been historically marginalized. For this reason, we prohibit behavior that targets individuals with abuse based on protected category.”

So, Twitter relies on its users to govern each other and ensure that the platform meets its standards. Whilst it should go without saying that this is much needed in times of division, should every past comment be assessed with this in mind? Some would argue that it’s a necessity for keeping those in power in check. 

A recent study on the topic of cancel culture was completed by the Pew Research Center in the United States. Although not every piece of research was targeted with high-profile people in mind, the results looked at their respondents’ views of others posting questionable opinions online. 

From over ten thousand people, 58% believed that calling out others on social media was more likely to hold people accountable for their actions. On the other hand, 38% said it was more likely to punish people who didn’t deserve it.

Interestingly, the results differ according to their respondents’ preferred political party. Those who identified as Democrats were more in favor of holding people accountable by calling out their actions than Republicans were. Conversely, a majority of 56% of Republicans believe that these actions are unfair and wrongly penalize people. 

These results could be in direct relation to the fiasco surrounding the Republican president Donald Trump. Known for his caustic statements on Twitter and seemingly tweeting out his every single thought, his access to the service was finally revoked and suspended after his comments were deemed to incite the 2021 Capitol Riot in Washington D.C. It also got him impeached for a second time. 

In an official announcement, Twitter stated, “After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them—specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter—we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”