Former 'Charmed' actor Rose McGowan's Twitter account was briefly suspended yesterday
Women - and many men - are calling for a 24-hour boycott of Twitter on Friday after American actor Rose McGowan's account was briefly suspended for supposedly violating its terms and policies. Ms McGowan has been mobilising voices on the microblogging platform against Hollywood producer
Harvey Weinstein, who faces serious allegations of sexual misconduct. Many participating in the boycott say it's time Twitter start tackling abuse, often targeted disproportionately at women, on its platform.
In addition to tweeting her support for Mr Weinstein's alleged sexual abuse survivors, Ms McGowan has actively been calling out other alleged sexual predators in the industry as well.
Hours ago, in a tweet, the actor accused the producer of
rape, an allegation he has flatly denied. Earlier, it had been reported that the former
Charmed star had reached an undisclosed settlement with the Hollywood mogul in 1997 after an
alleged incident in a hotel room which prevented her from discussing it publicly.
Twitter addressed the suspension of Ms McGowan's account in a series of tweets, explaining it was the result of Ms McGowan posting someone's private phone number.
But Twitter's explanation angered many who pointed out the company's policies were not consistently enforced across all users.
This led to many women calling for a 24-hour boycott of Twitter.
The hashtag #WomenBoycottTwitter is currently among the top trends on Twitter. Plenty of celebrities are throwing their weight behind the movement.
In India, among those prominently supporting the boycott is former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Whether the growing movement forces Twitter to rethink the way it applies its harassment and safety policies remains to be seen.Click for more
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