Twitter reviews policies after Robin Williams's daughter abused
Twitter Inc. is reviewing its policies on privacy and support for family members of deceased users after Robin Williams's daughter was sent abusive messages following his death.
Twitter has suspended “a number of accounts” related to the incident, Del Harvey, vice president of trust and safety for the San Francisco-based company, said in a statement.
“We will not tolerate abuse of this nature on Twitter,” Harvey said. “We are in the process of evaluating how we can further improve our policies to better handle tragic situations like this one.”
The changes will include broader privacy rules and increased services for family members when a user dies, she said. Williams's daughter, Zelda, said in a post on Twitter that she would stop using the short messaging service.
Robin Williams, an Oscar-winning comic and actor — famous for his portrayal as an alien in the “Mork & Mindy” TV show, a therapist in “Good Will Hunting” and the eccentric genie in “Aladdin” — died after hanging himself at home this week. The 63-year-old had been battling severe depression, Mara Buxbaum, his publicist, said in a statement.
“To those who are sending kind words, know that one of his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh,” Zelda Williams said on her blog this week. “For those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car.”