Elon Musk Orders Removal of 'Suicide Prevention' Feature... Twitter to Restore It Next Week

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul] Criticism is rising that Twitter users' safety is being compromised following reports that the message feature providing guidance on safety issues such as suicide prevention was removed under the direction of Elon Musk, Twitter's CEO.

According to major foreign media on the 23rd (local time), the 'Help Guidance Message (#ThereIsHelp)' feature, which guided safety options to users searching for specific content on Twitter, was removed the previous day. The 'Help Guidance Message (#ThereIsHelp)' feature displayed contact information for organizations or groups that could provide assistance related to mental health, HIV, child sexual exploitation, and other issues at the top of the search results when certain terms were searched on Twitter. Foreign media, citing multiple sources, reported that this feature was removed under the direction of Elon Musk, Twitter's CEO.

Alex Goldenberg, senior intelligence analyst at the U.S. nonprofit Network Contamination Research Institute, said that just a few days ago the 'guidance message' appeared, but it was not showing on the 22nd. He stated, "If this decision means that these issues are no longer being taken seriously, it is quite dangerous," adding, "This goes against Musk's previous promise to prioritize child safety."

However, Ella Irwin, Twitter's Head of Trust and Safety, commented on the removal of the help guidance message feature, saying, "The feature is being modified and revamped," and "It was temporarily removed for the work, but it is expected to be restored next week."

Nonetheless, concerns are growing that the removal of this help guidance message feature could signal that user safety on Twitter may not be properly managed.

AIDS United, headquartered in Washington, reported that until the 18th, their website received 70 visits per day through Twitter's guidance messages, but after the feature was removed, there were only 14 visits in total.

Aelyani Abdul Rahman, who participated in the recently disbanded Twitter Content Advisory Board, said, "The disappearance of the help guidance message feature is very shocking," and pointed out, "Even when making improvements, it is common practice not to remove such a feature."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.