Twitter Says Dataminr Monitoring Service Does Not Violate Surveillance Ban

Twitter defended letting the Dataminr service tap into the flow of public tweets.

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 30 September 2020 13:57 IST
Highlights
  • Dataminr uses AI to comb platforms such as Twitter for keywords
  • Protests about Black Lives Matter movement are major topics on Twitter
  • Twitter said it audited Dataminr's suite of products & found no violation
Twitter Says Dataminr Monitoring Service Does Not Violate Surveillance Ban

Twitter doesn't prohibit alerting information on what is happening that can be gleaned from public tweets

Twitter defended letting the service, Dataminr, tap into the flow of public tweets to send alerts to police or other government agencies about plans for protests or civil disobedience, such as those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Twitter prohibits the use of our developer services for surveillance purposes. Period," a spokesman for the San Francisco-based company said in reply to an AFP inquiry.

"We see a societal benefit in public Twitter data being used for news alerting, first responder support, and disaster relief."

The stance provokes a debate as to what exactly constitutes surveillance.

Dataminr is a social media-monitoring service that uses artificial intelligence to comb platforms such as Twitter for user-determined keywords.

Advertisement

In recent months, Dataminr has provided government clients with alerts that include Twitter handles of those posting messages about protest plans or where activists are blocking streets, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited seeing email copies of alerts.

A Dataminr service called First Alert "notifies first responders about critical events as they're happening, minimising response time and enabling them to act quickly and confidently," according to a post at the company's website.

First Alert relies on public tweets and was built with input from Twitter. Controls were built in to comply with a Twitter policy against surveillance, according to the social media platform.

Advertisement

Twitter said it does not prohibit alerting information about what is happening that can be gleaned from public tweets.

Advertisement

Protests and discussions about the Black Lives Matter movement are major topics on Twitter.

Threat alerts that can keep people out of danger or help support first responders can focus on specific locations, such as parks or schools, and what is happening, according to Twitter.

Twitter said it has audited Dataminr's suite of products and found no violation of its ban on surveillance.

"We proactively enforce our policies to ensure customers are in compliance and will continue to do so," the Twitter spokesman said.

"We consistently hold ourselves accountable to rigorous standards, including third-party audits of key products and services like Dataminr."


Will Xbox Series S, PS5 Digital Edition fail in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. OnePlus Could Unveil a Compact Flagship Tablet Alongside the OnePlus 15T
  2. Oppo K13 Turbo, K13 Turbo Pro Specifications Teased Ahead of Launch Today
  3. Perplexity CEO Says Comet Browser Might Soon Takeover This Job
  4. OnePlus Teases Launch of New Tablet in India, Will Arrive on This Date
  5. Vivo Y50m 5G, Vivo Y50 5G With 6,000mAh Battery Launched: All Details
  6. Lenskart Will Use Snapdragon Chips in Upcoming Smart Glasses
  7. Akai Soul Series Soundbars With Up to 160W Output Launched in India
  8. Vodafone Idea (Vi) Gives Extra Benefits With These Prepaid Plans: Report
  9. FromSoftware Is Reportedly Working on a New Game That Could Launch Next Year
  1. Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 LTE Version Reportedly Surfaces on FCC, IMEI Certification Websites
  2. Asus Vivobook 14 Launched in India With Snapdragon X Processor, 14-Inch LCD Screen: Price, Specifications
  3. Meta Says It Won't Sign EU’s GPAI Code of Practice Due to ‘Legal Uncertainties’
  4. OnePlus Teases Launch of New Tablet in India on July 23; OnePlus Pad Lite Expected to Debut
  5. Redmi Note 15 Pro+, iQOO Z10 Tipped to Feature Snapdragon Chipsets, 1.5K Resolution Displays
  6. Ubisoft's Upcoming Launches Include a New Ghost Recon Game, CEO Says
  7. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic Now Available for Pre-Order in India
  8. Vodafone Idea (Vi) Rolls Out Additional Benefits With Rs. 199, Rs. 179 Prepaid Plans: Report
  9. Netflix Reportedly Used AI-Generated Scene in The Eternaut Show to Cut Production Costs
  10. Manidhargal Now Streaming on SunNXT: Everything You Need to Know About its Plot, Cast, and More
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.