Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Madihha Ahussain, special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry for Muslim Advocates, regarding Twitter’s decision to blockaccounts that use “hateful imagery and display names” or a “username, display name, or profile bio to engage in abusive behavior.” Muslim Advocates is a member of Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council. The removed accounts include those of Jayda Fransen and Britain First, which Muslim Advocates urged Twitter to take down after President Trump retweeted bigoted propaganda videos by them.

“For months, we have issued calls for Twitter and Facebook to combat the use of their platforms to promote hate and bigotry. We applaud Twitter for updating its policies and taking steps today to remove violent and hateful accounts from its platform.

As social media sites have become the central organizing hub for America’s hate groups, companies like Twitter and Facebook have a responsibility to ensure that their platforms are not used to sow violence and hate.

Deleted accounts include Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, and several other Britain First-associated accounts. Late last month, President Donald Trump retweeted virulently anti-Muslim propaganda created by these accounts. Following the incident, we sent a public letter to Twitter’s chief executive officer Jack Dorsey urging the company to remove the accounts of Jayda Fransen and of Britain First, which exist for the sole purpose of inciting bigotry and violence against Muslims.

Despite the progress that still needs to be made, today marks an important step toward reducing the online bigotry and violence that too often spills over to the rest of the country.”

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Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.